By Mary Taruvinga

POPULAR Zimbabwean socialite and businessman Genius Kadungure has pleaded with the courts to let him use his passport so he could help fix the issue of gas shortages in the country.

Kadungure, affectionately known as Ginimbi, is being tried for allegedly prejudicing Treasury of $3,5 million in a tax evasion scam.

He has approached Harare magistrate, Rumbidzai Mugwagwa seeking temporary release of his passport.

The owner of Pioneer Gases successfully begged for the release of his passport and for his bail conditions to be altered since he intends to travel on a business trip which he says will also help the country deal with its current gas shortages.

“He intends to travel to Dubai. He is a businessman and has some business commitments to fulfil.” said his lawyer Jonathan Samukange

“He is a businessman and from the allegations, you will not that he failed to remit tax returns.

“May I bring it to your attention that there is shortage of gas. He deals with gas and has offices in Botswana and South Africa so he will be travelling around on business and this will help the country.”

The magistrate agreed before she remanded the case to next year.

Kadungure is being charged as the director of Piko Trading and Pioneer Gas and the complainant in this case is the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra).

It is the State case that from February 2009 to May 2016, Kadungure, with the intention of evading paying value-added tax, made a misrepresentation to Zimra that he had made total sales of $2 777 678 inclusive, instead of the actual $9 092 951.

The offence came to light when Zimra conducted an investigation into the activities of Piko Trading.

The state also alleges that in 2015, Zimra conducted lifestyle audits of socialites after observing their excessive expenditure, which was not matching with their tax declarations.