The trial of Indian national Sharma Atal, who is facing charges related to the theft of trust property, continued today.
Atal told the court that his arrest was linked to failed money laundering deals between the complainant, Mahommed Soebi, and individuals he identified only as Hannif and Dipak Mod.
Atal explained that Soebi had entrusted money to J. Ramnani for money laundering, but the deal did not proceed as planned. He emphasised that he had no involvement in any scrap metal transaction and did not know Soebi before December 11, 2024.
Atal stated that he was staying at the same location as Ramnani during the money laundering activities. He explained that Soebi, accompanied by a former police officer named Sam, came looking for Ramnani but was unable to locate him.
Atal claimed that he was arrested after Soebi failed to find Ramnani and suggested that Soebi had framed him, as Atal was the only Indian national present at the time.
Furthermore, Atal accused Soebi of orchestrating his arrest in an attempt to force him to disclose the whereabouts of Ramnani, information that Atal claimed he did not have. Atal also alleged that Soebi, Sam, and Hannif had provided false information to the Immigration Department, leading to the revocation of his bail.
In a shocking revelation, Atal stated that while in prison, he was visited by an individual named Mia Sohel, another Indian national, who claimed to have powerful connections in Zimbabwe.
Sohel allegedly admitted to ordering the revocation of Atal’s bail and demanded a payment of $70,000, threatening Atal’s family in India with dire consequences if the money was not paid.
The accused further claimed that Soebi, Sam, and Hannif had been harassing him and attempting to extort money from him.
On the other hand, the state presented its case, stating that in November 2024, the complainant met Atal in the central business district, where Atal offered a business deal involving scrap metal.
Atal allegedly convinced Soebi that he needed $50,000 to supply him with scrap metal, showing him pictures of metal containers to support his claim.
On December 11, 2024, Soebi visited Atal’s residence at 2 Harvey Close, Belvedere, Harare, where Atal introduced him to another individual who confirmed that they could provide scrap metal. Soebi handed over $40,000 for the purchase of scrap metal and left.
However, feeling uneasy about the transaction, Soebi returned shortly after to retrieve his money, only to be told that it had been taken by Atal to an unknown location.
After further investigation, Soebi was informed that Atal had gone to the airport. When Soebi checked at the airport, he found no record of Atal’s departure.
Despite attempts to follow up with Atal, Soebi’s efforts were unsuccessful, leading him to file a police report, which resulted in the arrest of the second accused. The total value of the money involved was $40,000, and as of now, no recovery has been made.
