New Trial Date Scheduled for MA Auto Spares Director
*Trial date for MA Auto Spares director set
THE trial date for embattled businessman and MA Auto Spares director Michael Smith has been set down for July 20.
Smith is answering to 16 counts of fraud and theft of trust property.
His initial court appearance was in February this year and appeared for routine remand Wednesday.
Harare Magistrate Denis Mangosi set down the trial commencement for July 20.
Smith is in a legal battle with his erstwhile Australian based co-director Michael Asher.
Circumstances are that Smith allegedly failed to disclose to Asher that their company was paying it’s South African suppliers through a third party,Many Procurement (Pvt) Ltd.
He went on to misrepresent that their company ordered two tents, a station wagon rear bumper, and RHS carrier which he converted to personal use.
He also failed to account for US$28 985.72 service charges received from relatives and friends after using company resources.
It is the State’s case that sometime September 2022, MA Auto Supplies later unearthed that Mant Procurement was overcharging the company and suffered prejudice in excess of R100 000.
In February, Smith allegedly imported two tents using MA Auto Suppliers (Pvt) Ltd’s resources and sold them to Ms Horsley for US$1 800.
Smith allegedly used the same modus operandi to import a Station Wagon Rear Bumper and RHS Carrier and the customer paid R24 259.83 directly into Mant Procurement (Pvt) Ltd’s FNB account.
On another occasion, Smith was authorised by the complainant to sell their Toyota Land Cruiser for US$7 500 and he converted the amount to his own use.
In November 2020, Smith also failed to account for a US$10 000 loan advanced to the company.
Smith is out on $100 000 bail.
Zebediah Bofu appeared for the State.
