Harare- THE trial of Clark Clever Makoni and Beverly Aisha Ndonda Makoni, accused of defrauding Dr Gideon Gono’s company, Galwex Investments, of ZWL$137 million, took a new twist on Friday with the court admittiting the audit report into the record.
Presiding magistrate Stanford Mambanje ruled that the audit report constituted relevant evidence for the case hence the objection to its submission was overruled.
Following this ruling, prosecutor Heather Muwokoto presented tendered the audit report
The trial has been adjourned to March 28.
The couple is accused of improperly altering the ownership of Valley Lodge, registering the property in their names, and subsequently withdrawing millions of dollars from the company’s account.
In the previous court session, the State led evidence from Galwex’s internal auditor, Lindiwe Sabeka, who provided testimony regarding significant findings from an internal audit at Valley Lodge.
Sabeka, detailed the irregularities uncovered during the audit that ultimately led to the couple’s arrest.
The defense lawyer Admire Rubaya during last court session contested the report’s admissibility, arguing it lacked proper authorship and certification by a public auditor.
However, additional witnesses corroborated the prosecution’s claims.
ZB Bank manager Tonderai Karumbidza testified that the couple had altered CR14 documents, falsely presenting themselves as the new owners of Valley Lodge, located in Mutare.
Karumbidza explained how the couple became signatories to the account, stating that the bank followed its usual procedures.
He said he first met the accused in 2017 when they came to change signatories for the Valley Lodge account.
As the bank they provided them with the required forms, including the 14A and 14J6 forms, which detail the requirements for becoming a signatory.
They submitted Know Your Customer (KYC) documents for processing. As the bank manager, he signed their application.
The manager added that he worked with the accused in their capacity as Valley Lodge directors, as they frequently visited the bank to conduct transactions.
Furthermore, Mrs Lindsay Musukutwa, Registrar of Companies in the Department of Deeds, Companies, and Intellectual Property, confirmed that official records still listed the Omar Family as the legal directors of the company, contradicting the Makonis’ claims.
