HARARE - The trial of businessman-cum-musician Energy Mutodi, who is accused of swindling Harare home-seekers of $588 787, failed to kick off for the second time because Mutodi’s lawyer was sick.
Harare magistrate Vakayi Chikwekwe postponed the trial to Wednesday.
Mutodi is jointly charged with Boniface Chikono, a trustee in the National Housing and Development Trust.
Last week, the flamboyant businessman won an application to have his National Housing Delivery Trust’s bank account unfrozen after Chikwekwe ruled that the account was not part of the criminal proceedings.
His lawyers, Charles Chinyama, Freddy Machokoto and Ray Tsvakwi said they needed the trust’s funds to settle a debt of $435 000 for several residential stands it had bought from Phillip Chiyangwa’s Pinnacle Holdings.
Prosecutor Michael Reza had urged the courts to dismiss the application after arguing that it was “bad at law and unheard of.”
The flamboyant musician is said to have lured over 16 000 civil servants to join and contribute to the housing trust.
Deduction orders were given to the Salary Service Bureau (SSB) to subtract certain amounts of money on a monthly basis from civil servants who had joined the trust.
It is alleged that sometime in 2007, Mutodi went on to change the account signing arrangement, and made himself the sole signatory. He allegedly signed for all the transactions.
At least $588 787 was paid in by the complainants and Mutodi, contrary to his promises, allegedly withdrew all the money and converted it to his own use.