Indian on trial for fleecing Bob’s nephew

via Indian on trial for fleecing Bob’s nephew 09 September 2014

THE trial of an Indian diamond magnet who is accused of duping President Robert Mugabe’s nephew, Kaitano, failed to take off Tuesday after the defence demanded that the state produces original documents in the matter.

Defence attorney, Andrew Mudheredhe, pleaded with Magistrate Milton Serima to force the state counsel to produce original documents of the botched mining deal before the trial proceeds.

“I understand that my colleague wants to proceed with continuation of trial. There has been duteous of state papers, particularly uncertified papers that the state wants to use as exhibits,” said Mudheredhe.

“I have had a look at some of the certified documents, but they are not a copy of the original but a copy of previously certified copies.”

For the state, prosecutor Venencia Mtake told Serima that it was the two accused persons who have custody of the original company documents.

“There is a document that states that there are people who collected these documents from the Zimbabwe Investment Authority (ZIA) and these people are employees of the accused persons.

“For ZIA licences to be issued, applications attached with the documents had to be made. If that is not the case, it means that the licences are fake and must be revoked,” averred Mtake.

Nandlal Goenka, 65, the first accused person in the scandal and his alleged accomplice Patrick Chiwanza, 59, are both directors and shareholders in the disputed Pure Minerals Zimbabwe (Pvt) Ltd, and are facing trial for fraud.

The key witness and one of the complainants’ in the matter, Kaitano, is seeking authorities to revoke an investment certificate on the mine. Kaitano is son to Mugabe’s late elder brother Donato.

It is alleged that sometime in April, Goenka approached Anil Pandey and proposed a joint venture business in mining explorations of chrome and gold.

They then entered into partnership to deal in gold mining under Pure Minerals Zimbabwe on Prowick Investments Pvt Ltd Special Grant 5067.

Pandey represented Kaitano Mugabe, Hitesh Patel, Anna Anastacia Knuth, Sonel Bhairavi and Lalapanzi Community Trust as shareholders, while Naveet Goenka represented Nandlal, Nitin Goenka and Chiwanza.

According to documents seen by NewZimbabwe.com Kaitano claims the Indian business mogul Nandlal Goenka fraudulently acquired a Zimbabwe Investment Authority certificate (ZIA).

In a letter dated August 28, 2014 addressed to Zimbabwe Revenue Authority chief Gershem Pasi, Kaitano pleaded with authorities to withdraw Pure Minerals’ ZIA certificate adding the company was under-declaring gold production as well as externalising the precious mineral.

“I do write to your good office for the withdrawal of ZIA permit for Pure Minerals Zimbabwe. This is due to the fact that the said document was fraudulently renewed through fake board resolutions by the Geonka, his two sons and Patrick Chimwaza.

“I am also reliably informed that the latter are under declaring gold production at Fidelity (Reserve Bank company to which gold deliveries are made) the mine is capable of producing 10-12 kgs of gold per month,” read part of Kaitano’s letter.

Goenka and his two sons Nitin and Navneet who according to court papers are at large, own Goenka Diamonds and Jewels a diamond company listed on the Indian stock exchange.