adminSamuel Kadungure Court Reporter
POLICE have launched a probe into emerging allegations in which the culprit at the centre of the $70 000 Old Mutual Funeral Services saga David Garudzo allegedly faked deaths of some of his insured relatives and claimed their estates.
The Manica Post understands that Garudzo (27) was last week taken from Rusape Remand Prison to ZRP Rusape Central where he was questioned by officers from the Homicide Department from Harare on the allegations of murder that stemmed from a confession in court by a friend Cybert Murumbwanya that he killed a drunken man at Odzi and burnt his body in a hired Toyota Spacio and used the corpse to stage-manage his death and swindled Old Mutual of $70 000 in funeral benefits.
It is understood that Garudzo is disputing the murder allegations, arguing that there was bad blood between him and Murumbwanya after he only gave him $1 000 instead of $10 000.
Police last week applied for permission to exhume the remains of an Odzi man who, Murumbwanya claimed was used to defraud Old Mutual $70 000.
The remains will be taken to a pathologist to ascertain the true identity of the victim and the actual cause of death.
The dragnet squad has also recorded statements from him on allegations that he allegedly opened life insurance accounts for some relatives and went on to fake their deaths to claim the benefits.
The policies generally mature upon the death of the policyholder and beneficiaries and heirs to the policyholder’s estate benefit.
Police are now out to establish the whereabouts of the policyholders.
Garudzo is also said to have defrauded thousands of dollars from several businesspeople in Mutare during his last days of his employment at ZEDTC Mutare. He resigned from ZEDTC on May 31, 2014.
Manicaland police spokesperson Inspector Tavhiringwa Kakohwa said he was not privy to the developments as he was at school and referred further questions to his deputy Assistant Inspector Luxon Chananda whose mobile phone was unreachable.
Garudzo was set to re-appear at Rusape Magistrates’ Court on fresh charges last Friday, but the area prosecutor Mr Tirivanhu Mutyasira refused to entertain the case saying the offences were committed in Mutare District.
“They (police) had brought him (Garudzo) to court last Friday, but we referred the matter to Mutare Magistrates’ Court because it was clear from the charges that the offences were committed in Mutare District,” said Mr Mutyasira.
A check at Mutare Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday showed that the former ZEDTC meter reader had not appeared before it.
Garudzo’s wife, Primrose Jecha (22), was on Tuesday also jailed for five years after being convicted of misrepresenting facts that her husband had died to defraud Old Mutual Funeral
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