Update On Former Diplomat Charged With Defrauding Women In Zimbabwe
A woman named Vimbai Dzingirai has been charged with cyber-bullying after she posted on social media, accusing Pride Miti, the accountant for the African Business Women Association (ABWA), of being involved in a Ponzi scheme that defrauded Zimbabweans living abroad of approximately US$193,000.
The case:
ABWA is owned by Shamiso Fred, Zimbabwe’s former honorary consul to the United Arab Emirates. Fred appeared in court in November 2023 charged with defrauding a group of women using ABWA. According to the State, Fred used social media to advertise investment opportunities in ABWA, claiming the organisation focused on egg production and dairy farming. Prospective investors had to pay a joining fee and invest varying amounts, with promises of monthly profits.
Allegedly, 16 individuals invested a total of US$196,553 and £2,072 between December 2020 and October 2022. However, when their investments matured, only three investors received a small portion of the promised profits, while others received nothing. The victims reported the fraud to the police, leading to Fred’s arrest, and she was granted a US$500 bail by Magistrate Marehwanazvo Gofa.
Highlights from last week:
- During the legal proceedings last week, the state presented evidence that Dzingirai had targeted Miti about the alleged scam on social media.
- Dzingirai’s request for a discharge was denied by Magistrate Munashe Chibanda.
- She then sought a stay of the proceedings, which was also dismissed.
- Dissatisfied with the rulings, Dzingirai appealed to the High Court, which granted a stay and ordered a new magistrate to oversee the trial. In the application for review, Dzingirai asked the court to declare her innocent and discharge her from the case.
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She also requested that if the court believed she should stand trial, it should be conducted by a new and unbiased magistrate.
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Dzingirai accused Chibanda of deliberately leaving out important information during the cross-examination that could support her defence. She believed that she should have been discharged at the end of the State’s presentation of evidence.
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Dzingirai argued that she never admitted to the allegations, so scientific and expert-led evidence was crucial to her defence.
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She raised concerns about the court accepting unverified screenshots from a Facebook page submitted by the complainant, who she believed had a personal grudge against her. Dzingirai accused the magistrate of fabricating evidence and misrepresenting her statements during the trial.
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Dzingirai also accused Chibanda of accepting evidence from the complainant after the court proceedings had concluded. She claimed that Chibanda did not provide reasons for dismissing her application in the ruling.
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High Court judge Justice Tawanda Chitapi ruled in favour of Dzingirai and ordered that the trial be restarted with a new magistrate overseeing the proceedings.
