Man in Court Over US$60K Lithium Fraud on UAE Firm

Munyaradzi Mashiri- Court Correspondent

A 23-year-old Harare businessman, Nasha Weal Musa, has been charged with fraud for allegedly swindling a UAE-based company, Rudra Mani Gen Trading LLC, out of US$60,620 in a botched lithium deal.

Musa, representing his company Nasha Industries and Commodities Private Limited, appeared before magistrate Ruth Moyo at the Harare Magistrates' Courts on fraud charges.

The complainant, Rudra Mani Gen Trading LLC — a mineral trading company based in the United Arab Emirates — is being represented by its operations director, Mahek Shah. The company procures minerals in Zimbabwe and exports them to China.

According to court papers, in January, Shah was in Zimbabwe seeking lithium concentrate for export. He met Musa at Borrowdale Village Walk in Harare.

Musa allegedly misrepresented that his company had 500 metric tonnes of lithium concentrate stored in Kamativi, which he was selling for US$196,000, inclusive of costs to facilitate export documentation.

Interested in the deal, Shah and Musa signed a memorandum of sale and purchase agreement on January 31.

The agreement stipulated that Musa would deliver the 500 metric tonnes of lithium concentrate to his business premises at Number 7 Faber Road, Bluffhill, Harare, from where the complainant would arrange loading for export.

It was agreed that payment would be made in full after the delivery of the lithium concentrate.

However, on February 11, Musa allegedly told the complainant he was experiencing financial challenges in transporting the lithium concentrate to Harare and requested financial assistance. The complainant then sent US$47,000.

Musa is said to have acknowledged receipt of the funds in writing and promised to start transporting the lithium within five days.

When the deadline passed with no delivery, Musa reportedly requested further assistance and received an additional US$13,620 in separate transactions.

Despite the payments, Musa allegedly failed to supply the lithium concentrate, converted the funds to personal use, and became evasive.

This prompted the complainant to file a police report.

On July 31, Musa was arrested at his business address after a tip-off from a reliable informer.

As a result of the alleged misrepresentation, the complainant lost US$60,620. Nothing has been recovered.