FORMER president of the now defunct Zimbabwe Miners Federation (ZMF) ,Trynos Nkomo, has been charged for allegedly swindling a Botswana investor of $135 000 in a botched gold deal. ALBERT NCUBE OWN CORRESPONDENT
Nkomo, who claimed to be in a mining partnership with Vice President Joice Mujuru in October while being investigated for externalising gold, allegedly lured Gregg Afamefuna into a gold deal which never materialised.
However, Nkomo’s trial failed to take off at the Gwanda Magistrates’ Court on Friday after some Botswana-based State witnesses failed to pitch up.
The case has now been set for February 20 2014. A Harare-based lawyer Admire Rubaya of Nyamushaya, Kasuso and Rubaya legal practitioners is representing Nkomo.
According to the State’s outline, sometime last year, Nkomo struck a deal with Afamefuna whereby the Botswana businessman would buy gold in Zimbabwe for resale in Dubai after exhausting all local legal formalities.
Afamefuna then deposited the money into Nkomo’s personal bank account in October last year in two batches of $45 000 and $90, 000.
However, Nkomo allegedly failed to honour his promise and on realising that the investment was not bearing any fruits a year after the cash was deposited, Afamefuna reported Nkomo to the police, leading to his arrest last month.
