DYNAMOS board of trustees’ chairman, Bernard Marriot Lusengo, yesterday appeared in court on allegations of defrauding the country’s biggest football club, and the private company under which it falls, of a 51 percent shareholding.
It’s the latest, if not significant, twist in the long-running saga related to the ownership of the country’s most successful football club, which has been the subject of boardroom battles for decades.
However, while the previous battles have been fought in the civil courts, it’s the first time that Marriot has been dragged into a criminal court to answer charges of allegedly using illegal means to take ownership of the club.
He is the head of directors at the company, which owns the football club, where Marriot is one of the directors, according to the court papers.
The court heard that sometime in 2008, Dynamos FC articles of association were replaced through a special resolution.
The net effect of the articles of association was to allocate some shares to people who were active members of the club, during the period, extending from the club’s formation in 1963 to 1968.
It is alleged that this was in accordance with the recommendations of the Sports and Recreation Commission.
The articles of association were adopted through Article 6 to 19, and a three- member committee was set up to look into the issue of allocation payment, distribution and issuing of share certificates.
The committee comprised Rundaba, Marriot and Casper Muzenda, who once occupied the role of chief executive, at the football club.
However, the court heard that the allocation of shares, and issuance of certificates, was not done.
It is the State’s case that in February 2014, Rundaba reported a case, involved an alleged fraudulent transaction, which involved Webster Marechera, who was the club treasurer.
Marechera is now the club secretary-general.
Other board members were said to have been unhappy, with the decision to report the fraud case and, the court heard, they called for a meeting, in Rundaba’s absence, and resolved to replace him, as director of finance, with the late Owen Chandamale.
