Court Hears of ‘Fake’ Resolution in Headmaster’s Share Row

The investigating officer in the fraud case involving Westridge Primary School headmaster Thakorbhai Kanjee (73) and his wife, Jaya Kanjee (71) testified that the High Court had nullified the resolution the couple submitted to the Registrar of Companies to inflate their shares.
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Kanjee and his wife, who are also directors of T&J Investments Pvt Ltd, are facing fraud charges involving the unauthorized inflation of their shares in the family-owned business.

The complainant in the matter is Neeshta Urmila Patel.

Felix Mugumbate, stationed at the CID Commercial Crimes Division, told Harare magistrate Artwell Sanyatwe that he started investigating the case after the complainant reported a fake resolution shared with her via a WhatsApp message.
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He said he engaged the ZRP Cyber Department to retrieve the specific resolution sent by the accused via WhatsApp.

​”After I obtained the document from the cyber department, I noticed that it was fake because it lacked crucial elements that make it a legal document,” Mugumbate said.

“The resolution lacked the signatures of both the complainant and the two accused persons. It was only signed by the secretary.”
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Mugumbate added that during his investigation, he discovered that a secret meeting was held by Kanjee and his wife to award themselves 10 additional shares each without the knowledge and approval of Patel.

​”For a directors’ meeting to be held, there must be a written document issued 21 days before the actual meeting, not a WhatsApp message or a verbal notice,” Mugumbate testified. “When I verified with the complainant whether she had received an invitation to the meeting, she said she was unaware of it.”

​Mugumbate further told the court that Kanjee and his wife proceeded to submit the resolution to the Registrar of Companies without Patel’s knowledge.

He also noted that an inquiry at the High Court revealed a judgment that had already nullified the document.
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The State, represented by Lawrence Gangarahwe, alleges that on August 16, 2024, Kanjee and his wife submitted a forged resolution to the Registrar of Companies, claiming it had been approved by all directors to alter the shareholding structure.

Acting on this alleged misrepresentation, the Registrar processed the changes, resulting in each accused gaining 10 additional shares without Patel’s knowledge or consent.

It is the State’s case that these actions prejudiced the proper administration of the company.

​The matter was remanded to October 14 for a ruling on an application for discharge after Kanjee’s lawyer, Paida Saurombe, indicated his intention to file the application following the State closing its case.