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Yeukai Karengezeka
Court Correspondent
City Football Academy owner, Agripa Guti, yesterday appeared in court for allegedly defrauding several people of US$9 230 after making them believe that he was a legit Manchester City Football Club recruiter.
The four complainants only realised that they had been duped after they had travelled to Dubai where the trials were being held and were told they had fake invitations.
Guti who is facing four counts of fraud appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Dennis Mangosi who remanded him out of custody to February 29 for routine remand since he was coming from home.
Prosecuting, Mr Rufaro Chonzi alleged that sometime in 2021, the complainant Justice Nyevhe wanted his son to attend football trials overseas.
During the same year, Nyevhe met with Guti at Alexander Sports Club, since he owns City Football Academy.
He allegedly lied to Nyevhe that he was able to facilitate for his son to go to Manchester City football club for trials in Dubai.
The court heard Guti misrepresented that the trials were due to be held between June 2021 and March 2023.
Nyevhe paid him US$2 500 for the whole program.
Then in June last year, Guti gave Nyevhe an invitation letter confirming that his son had been invited for trials by Manchester City Football Club.
The court heard that the three went to the event in August 2023, however, it was discovered that Guti’s invitation letter was fraudulent.
The Manchester club distanced itself from Guti’s invitation letter indicating that the logo on the letter was fake.
Nyevhe noticed that he was being duped after Guti had made several promises to refund but failed, leading the matter to be reported to the police.
On another count, Guti defrauded another complainant Didymus Mandinenga sometime in 2021, who wanted his son to go for football trials abroad.
Mandinenga also met with Guti at Alexander Sports Club and was told to pay US$930 for the whole programme at Manchester City Football Club Youth Training Facilities.
He was told that the training will run between June 2021 and March 2023. It is understood that sometime in June 2023, Guti issued Mandinenga with an invitation letter confirming that his son had been invited for trials by Manchester City Football Club.
They travelled to Dubai where trials were being conducted and the officials disowned the Manchester City logo which was on the invitation letter.
This is when they discovered that they had been defrauded.
Guti promised to refund him but nothing materialised prompting Mandinenga to file a report with the police.
Guti also used the same modus operandi to defraud Egton Tsuronzuma who wanted his son to have trials with Manchester Football Club and was made to pay US$3 800.
Another complainant Cuthbert Cornelius Chitima whose son also wanted to go for trials at the European football club lost US$2 000 which was payment for the whole programme in Dubai.
Online Reporter