Harare magistrate Sandra Mupindu has issued a warrant of arrest for Chinese businesswoman, Li Song, after she failed to appear in court where she is the complainant.Li, who had reported her former business partner Francesco Marconati to the police for theft of trust property, failed to appear in court for commencement of trial, forcing the court to issue a warrant for her arrest.
Zvikomborero Mupasa appeared for the State.Li and Marconati have been locked in a long-running legal dispute after she allegedly transferred millions of United States dollars to an offshore bank account where she is the sole signatory.Marconati then reported her to the authorities for money laundering and externalisation.Marconati and Li were co-shareholders in a Marondera- based leather company Eagle Italian Leather and Eagle Italian Shoes which supplies leather products to the security sector.
In this particular case where she is the complainant, Li alleges that Marconati took Z$200 million from the company coffers and deposited it into Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority where they were leasing Mana Pools, without her knowledge. She claims that the alleged transaction took place before their fallout.
Li has since been removed from the directorship of the Marondera firm after it emerged that she illegally transferred company money to her Mauritius-registered firm, Jacaranda Consulting Services.Previous efforts to have her arrested for money laundering have failed amid fears that is well-connected with top politicians and police bosses.
