An accomplice of a Chinese businessperson Li Song, who allegedly evaded paying customs duty amounting to US$40 000 for a consignment of sodium cyanide and hydrated lime that she imported last year, has appeared in court.

Bernadette Mukuku (35) appeared on Saturday before Harare magistrate Mrs Appolonia Marutya charged with fraud and was remanded out of custody on US$150 bail to June 26 on the same conditions of her co-accused Li.

The charges arise from a complaint by Mr Francesco Marconati, the former managing director of DGL9 Investments (Pvt) Ltd and DGL5 Investment, who alleged that from September 1 to March 3, 2022, Li used his company's name to obtain a customs duty rebate to import the chemicals, but never delivered them to the company and so obtained the chemicals without paying the duty she was obliged to pay.

Prosecutor Mr Thomas Chanakira alleged that sometime last year, Li made an application to the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority for rebates to import sodium cyanide and hydrated lime. Li tasked her accomplice, Mukuku, a former employee of DGL5 Investment from 2017 until November 2022, to make some follow-ups with Zimra on the approval of the rebate application.

The application was reportedly approved by the Zimra station manager at Bulawayo Port for consignments of sodium cyanide to be imported by DGL9 Investments.

The approval was copied to Mukuku.

It is reported that the consignments of the chemicals were imported from Mauritius to Zimbabwe under the name of DGL9 Investments with the assistance of Mukuku thereby deceiving Zimra. As a result of the misrepresentation, Li did not pay duty for the consignment and did not deliver the chemicals to the company whose name was used to import.

In the process of committing the offence, DGL9 Investments' reputation was tarnished.