BULAWAYO – Former Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko’s son and non-executive director of Choppies Zimbabwe, Siqokoqela, was charged with 170 counts of fraud on Friday after allegedly making unauthorised cash pick-ups of up to $52,000 from their retail outlets.
Siqokoqela, 40, was not asked to plead when he appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Sithembiso Ncube. He was remanded to September 14 on $200 bail.
Last week, his wife, Nomagugu, 36, was charged with 49 counts of extortion. She is accused of swiping-for-cash at 15 supermarkets and threatening to have managers of Indian origin sacked if they refused to give her cash, which is scarce in Zimbabwe.
They are both represented by Professor Welshman Ncube of Mathonsi Law Chambers.
Prosecutor, Nkathazo Dlodlo, said Siqokoqela, being a shareholder and director of Nanavac Investments Private Limited trading as Choppies Zimbabwe, deceived employees that he was entitled to receive certain amounts of money and services.
Choppies Zimbabwe is represented by Ottapathi Ramachandran who is the group CEO for Choppies Distribution Centre Private Limited and Choppies Enterprises.
Siqokoqela is a shareholder and one of the six directors of Choppies Zimbabwe.
