Internationally acclaimed eye specialist, Solomon Guramatunhu, found himself at the center of a financial debacle as he reportedly lost over US$108,924 in a crypto currency transaction. The unfortunate incident came to light during proceedings at the Harare magistrates’ court, where Lloyd Chiyangwa (31) stood accused. According to allegations presented by prosecutor Lancelot Mutsokoti, the ordeal began in 2020 when Guramatunhu purchased cryptocurrency while in India from a United Kingdom-based company. Upon returning to Zimbabwe, he engaged Chiyangwa, who specialized in cryptocurrency trading, to manage the tokens. Chiyangwa’s tasks included setting up wallets and transferring tokens across five different accounts.

However, matters took a drastic turn between January 7 and 27 of this year. During this period, Chiyangwa allegedly initiated a transfer of 122,467 Matic tokens, amounting to US$108,924.24, from Guramatunhu’s Metamask wallet to the Waybit exchange. The transaction, facilitated through Chiyangwa’s iPhone 15, came to light when Guramatunhu sought to relocate the tokens to another wallet, only to discover they were missing.

In light of these allegations, the Harare magistrate, Marehwanazvo Gofa, presiding over the case, opted to remand Chiyangwa in custody until the following day. This decision was made pending a ruling on Chiyangwa’s application for refusal of placement on remand.