HARARE – Former Affirmative Action Group president Mike Chimombe was released on bail Tuesday after he was charged with fraud.
The 41-year-old was not asked to plead when he appeared before Harare magistrate David Mangosi.
The National Prosecuting Authority represented by Pardon Dziva did not oppose bail which was set at Z$50,000.
Wearing a black shirt and with his mouth covered with a face mask, the lanky Chimombe sat quietly in the dock as charges were read.
Dziva told the court that the Chimombe swindled a Harare man, Brian Marungamise, of US$16,900 by selling him a non-existent housing stand.
Chimombe’s alleged accomplices Hermysh Katsande and Steven Chimombe are currently out on bail.
The prosecution says Chimombe and his two co-accused “made a misrepresentation that they were owners and sellers of a residential stand measuring 558 square meters” in the suburb of Tynwald.
“When Mike Chimombe so misrepresented, he knew very well that he did not own and had no such residential stand. Chimombe made the said misrepresentation intending to deceive or realising that there was a real risk or possibility of deceiving Marungamise to his financial prejudice,” Dzviva said.
Chimombe, who is represented by Tapson Dzvetero, was remanded to October 26.
