Mupfumira’s PA up for $1.4m fraud

BUSINESSWOMAN and former Zimbabwe’s Honorary Consular for Investment and Trade in the United Arab Emirates, Shamiso Fred, yesterday appeared in court for allegedly swindling a foreign currency dealer of $1,4 million.

Fred (46), who had close relations with fired Environment, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Prisca Mupfumira, was not asked to plead to fraud when she appeared before Harare magistrate, Mrs Learnmore Mapiye.

Fred is director for Centreshot Investments, which operates from Alexandra Park in Harare, a company that at some stage tried to bring Grand Prix to Victoria Falls, working with Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry. The deal, however, failed after the Nigerian sponsors accused Fred of defrauding them.

Mrs Mapiye granted her $3 000 bail before before deferring the case to September 23.

As part of her bail conditions Fred was ordered to surrender her passport with the Clerk of Court. She must report to the police twice weekly. Fred was also ordered to continue staying at her given address pending completion of the criminal case. She was warned against interferring with State witnesses and investigations while on bail.

The complainant is Aissa Ussen who operates Zimexpress, a duly registered bureau de change operating from Borrowdale.

It is the State’s case that sometime in February this year, Fred approached Ussen intending to change her U$10 000 into South African rands.

It is alleged that whilst they were chatting, Fred told Ussen that she had been appointed by the Government as the Zimbabwe Consular for Investment and Trade in the United Arab Emirates and that she was facilitating many deals for the Zimbabwean Government, including an unnamed project in Victoria Falls.