Italian Businessman’s Reversal On Motorcycle Ownership Raises Legal Eyebrows
By Staff Reporter
Italian Businessman Tony Renato Sarpo has made a stunning U-turn, claiming ownership of motorbikes he had previously denied were his.
Legal troubles arose for Sarpo in 2017 when he was arrested on charges of theft of trust property related to motorcycles and vehicles.
He denied all the charges levelled against him. In his defence concerning the motor bikes, Sarpo said his company Peppy Motors imported some motor bikes, but all the expenses were refunded by Matebeleland Engineering following an agreement with Wayne Williams to do so.
In his defence, Sarpo said,”This count is denied. At no point did the Company ever mandate the Accused (Sarpo) to hold $150 000 for the importation of 90 motor bikes worth USD 63 000.00 and other company inputs.
The State is challenged to prove this unsubstantiated allegation.
“In 2013, Accused’s company, Peppy Motors (Pvt) Ltd, decided to import motor bikes from a Chinese company called Chongqing Astronautic Bashan Motorcycle Manufacturing for resale to sugarcane farmers in the Lowveld
“All payments for these motorbikes were done by Peppy Motors from funds held in its accounts.
“Having heard of the aforementioned transaction, Wayne Williams expressed Interest and willingness to participate and it was agreed that the cost of the transaction would be transferred from Peppy Motors to the Company (Matebeleland Engineering Pvt Ltd) so that both Wayne Williams and the Accused would benefit from it.
“True to the aforegoing, the Company duly refunded Peppy Motors the full purchase price paid to the Chinese company for the motorbikes.
“Subsequently, the unassembled motorbikes were imported in the name of Peppy Motors with the full knowledge of Wayne Williams and the Company.
When the motorbikes arrived in Harare from China, they were transported to the Accused’s Oscro farm in the Lowveld for storage.
Wayne Williams and the company’s employees played a very central and prominent role in the transportation of these bikes to Chiredzi.
“The motorbikes in question were collected by the Company from Accused’s Oscro Farm, depending on demand, assembled at the Company’s Chiredzi branch and sold to farmers who paid the Company directly.”
The matter is still pending at the High Court.
However, recently after approaching the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC), Sarpo dragged Williams along with Regis Maburutse who is also a Director at Matebeleland Engineering Pvt Ltd to court after claiming ownership of the same motor bikes.
Sarpo accuses the two of theft, resulting in a loss of US$52,500.
Sarpo claims that Williams and Maburutse disposed of 35 unassembled motorbikes that were legally his property.
The matter has been set down for trial on 24 September.
