Game On Reporter
A decade after he was arrested in the United States, for creating false identities in order to receive federal tax refunds, flamboyant Harare dealer, Tonderai “Pound” Sakupwanya, is now leading one of Zimbabwe’s most colourful football teams.
Sakupwanya, who is chairman at Premier Soccer League side Scottland and brother to club owner, Pedzai, was in 2015 sentenced to more than seven years in prison and ordered to pay US$2.6 million in restitution by a United States court.
According to a report on Nehanda Radio, sourced from the Star Telegram and Zimbabwe Mail in 2015, Sakupwanya was arrested for creating false identities in order to receive federal tax refunds.
He was nabbed in the United States in May 2015 and pleaded guilty to one count of theft of public funds.
According to Star Telegram, a Dallas newspaper, Sakupwanya and his crime partner Reminico Hangazha, popularly known as Boss Remmy in Harare’s social circles, defrauded the IRS by obtaining tax refunds that were generated through the electronic filing of false income tax returns.
The refunds were sent to private mailboxes the pair rented using aliases.
It was also reported that authorities established bank accounts using the same false names.
Sakupwanya and Boss Remmy were at that time popular in the capital where they were famous for flaunting their wealth, driving expensive cars and showering up market clubbers with expensive whiskey.
Sakupwanya is now chairman of Scottland who earned the right to play in the Premier Soccer League in controversial style last season.
Mabviravira were involved in a two-horse race for the Northern Region Soccer League championship with MWOS until the league’s administrators intervened and handed Scottland the ticket to the PSL in the boardroom.
Several local reports have also accused Scottland of match fixing through bribery of referees.
