Online Reporter
Ryan Sibanda, [email protected]
A BULAWAYO man who posed as a property owner and attempted to sell a house using forged personal documents has been sentenced to an effective five years in prison.
Vincent Sibanda (46) was convicted of fraud and forgery by Bulawayo magistrate Mr Shinga Mutiro after the State proved that he used another person’s identity documents in an attempt to defraud a prospective home buyer.
He was sentenced to six years in prison, with one year suspended for five years on condition that he does not commit a similar offence during that period.
Sibanda’s co-accused, Thembelani Masola (40), was acquitted on both charges after the State failed to establish evidence linking him to the participation in the scheme.
In mitigation, Sibanda pleaded for leniency, telling the court that he was the sole breadwinner for his three children and three maternal family members.
According to the State, Sibanda and Masola were arrested by detectives at a local restaurant on July 29 following a tip-off.
The two were found in possession of documents intended to facilitate the fraudulent sale of a residential property to an unsuspecting buyer.
Among the documents recovered were a birth certificate and a national identity document belonging to Blessed Nyathi, with Sibanda’s photograph on the identity document.
Police also recovered a property cession form and a marriage certificate bearing the names of Nyathi and Nomathamsanqa Mazuzu.
The court heard that Sibanda found the documents in a file and subsequently approached a property agent to assist him in selling the house.
“Sibanda then went to look for an agent that would help him sell the house,” read court papers.
Masola allegedly valued the property at US$45 000, believing that it belonged to Sibanda.
However, Thembekile Ncube, who was representing a prospective buyer, became suspicious about the documentation and contacted police at the Drill Hall to verify its authenticity.
The police then mounted an operation after the suspects arranged to meet the prospective buyer outside Steers Restaurant.
Detective Sergeant Clever Zaranyika and other officers arrested Sibanda and Masola during the meeting.
The recovery of the forged documents and the use of another person’s identity brought the attempted property transaction to an abrupt end before the prospective buyer could be defrauded.
