A Harare magistrate has issued an arrest warrant for socialite Admire Mushambi, popularly known as Mama Vee, after he failed to appear in court to testify in the ongoing E-Creator Ponzi scheme trial that defrauded thousands of Zimbabweans.
Magistrate Francis Mapfumo made the ruling after Mushambi did not show up in court during the testimony of fellow socialite Tarisai “Madam Boss” Chikocho, who implicated him in the scandal.
Chikocho told the court that Mushambi was the one who introduced her to the Chinese nationals accused of running the elaborate scam — Jao Zhao Jiatong and William Chui — who are alleged to have masterminded the multimillion-dollar pyramid scheme.
According to the State, the accused lured members of the public to invest in a fake online platform that promised unrealistic returns.
“Jiatong and Chui established E-Creator with the intention of defrauding unsuspecting investors,” prosecutors said. “They falsely claimed people would earn massive profits, yet the platform had no real investment operations.”
Court documents reveal that victims were directed to send money through various EcoCash numbers allegedly linked to the accused. The funds — exceeding US$250,000 — were later withdrawn and converted into cryptocurrency.
The prosecution further alleged that a man only identified as Billy was later brought in to assist in processing the transactions, while EcoCash agent Blessing Julias handled some of the withdrawals.
During her testimony, Chikocho recounted how Mushambi approached her in June 2023, saying the accused wanted her to help promote their “investment platform.”
“They said it was a genuine investment company and offered to pay me for advertising. I went with my manager, Fanwell Masunugure, to their offices at Joina City, where we met them. That same day, I advertised E-Creator on my Facebook page and received US$700 for the post,” she said.
Chikocho also admitted she personally invested US$100 into the scheme and persuaded her husband and relatives to join.
The E-Creator scandal, which collapsed last year, left thousands of investors counting their losses. With Mushambi now on the run, the case has taken a dramatic twist as the court seeks to uncover who played what role in promoting the fraudulent operation.
ALSO READ : ZLHR Calls for Complete Abolition of Death Penalty on World Day Against It
For comments, Feedback and Opinions do get in touch with our editor on WhatsApp: +44 7949 297606 or Email: editor@thezimbabwetimes.co.zw.
