Businessman up for embezzlement

By Raymond Jaravaza

A Bulawayo man was dragged to the dock for allegedly embezzling a Barham Green suburb community trust fund under the guise of using the funds to facilitate the bringing on board of an investor.

Wayne Brandt, a former president of the Combined Community Development Fund, stands accused of converting US$8 000 under the pretext that he was using the funds to lure an investor that had shown interest in partnering the community development association.

The Combined Community Development Fund runs the Barham Green Sports Club.

Brandt was in charge of the Combined Community Development Fund on a four-year term from 2015 to May 2019.

He is accused of misrepresenting to the Combined Community Development Fund that he had found an investor and withdrew US$8 000 of the associations’ funds to facilitate the deal but later returned half of the money after it became apparent that no such deal existed.

He allegedly prejudiced the association of US$4 000, which was never recovered.

The community trust members also allege that their former leader, upon relinquishing the position of Combined Community Development Fund president in May 2019, allegedly destroyed all financial record books.

The accused appeared at the Bulawayo Magistrates Court and the case was postponed to 23 July.

Prosecutor Taurai Hondoyemoto appeared for the State.
Barham Green Sports Club, in its prime days, just like other sports club dotted around the city were at the forefront spearheading youth sport development. B-Metro