‘Mutodi can’t access bank account’

By Tendai Kamhungira

HARARE – The Harare Magistrates Court has granted an interim order barring businessman-cum-musician Energy Mutodi from accessing funds from his National Housing Development Trust (NHDT) bank account.

Magistrate Brighton Pabwe granted the order following an application filed by Boniface Chikono, one of NHDT’s trustees. Chikono said Mutodi, who is currently on trial for allegedly swindling desperate homeseekers, is abusing funds.

In his application, he cited Mutodi as the first respondent, while NHDT and Kingdom Bank, trading as AfrAsia Bank, were cited as second and third respondents respectively.

He told the court that at the inception of NHDT, there were four signatories to the account. Chikono said Mutodi changed everything and left himself as the sole signatory.

Chikono claims the Chigorodanda hitmaker, who is also NHDT’s director, has refused to produce statements of the bank account.

“The first respondent (Mutodi) has made it clear that he will continue to sign alone in a board meeting held at second respondent’s office,” Chikono said.

He said the trust was headed for disaster if the court failed to intervene, considering that the money is meant to acquire land for the benefit of contributing beneficiaries.

According to court papers, the said bank account, containing $626 000, was frozen by order of the court in May last year. It was later opened following another court application.

“Since the granting of the said order, first respondent has not been coming to the office, bought a new (Land Rover) Discovery 4 and has refused to account for the money,” Chikono said.

He said Mutodi should not be allowed to run the trust from his pocket.

“There is real danger that I can be dragged into the mud if the monies are misused in my position as a trustee,” Chikono said.

Pabwe said Mutodi should appear before the court on July 30 to show cause why an order barring him from accessing the funds should not be granted.

He, however, gave an interim order stopping the debiting of funds from the trust’s bank account. Daily News