admin
Luthando Mapepa
Chipinge Correspondent
A 23-YEAR-OLD Chipinge man masqueraded as a Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council (ZIMSEC) official and swindled desperate examination candidates a total of $495 000 after selling them fake papers.
Kudzai Chireya appeared before Chipinge magistrate, Mr Alfred Chinembiri facing fraud charges on Wednesday.
He pleaded guilty to the offence and was sentenced to 12 months in prison.
Three months were suspended on condition of good behaviour.
The remaining nine months were suspended on condition that he performs 350 hours of community service at Birchenough Bridge Hospital.
Prosecuting, Mr Thulani Zondwayo said in October, Chireya hatched a plan to defraud unsuspecting prospective ZIMSEC candidates through a WhatsApp group he had created.
“Through his WhatsApp group named MrPovo, Chireya said he was a ZIMSEC official and had access to both Advanced and Ordinary Level October 2022 to November 2022 examination question papers.
“Chireya captured some screen shots of different examination papers using his cellphone. These included Mathematics Paper One and Two as well as English Paper Two.
“In order to access the aforementioned full examination papers, one had to pay $5 000 on his supplied Ecocash number, 0785588968,” said Mr Zondwayo.
Mr Zondwayo added that several desperate and unsuspecting Ordinary and Advanced Level candidates fell for the scam.
“The accused received a total of $495 000 from different complainants and he converted the money to his personal use. The offence came to light when ZIMSEC officials witnessed the alarming leakages of its examination papers and reported the matter to the police,” said Mr Zindwayo.
On November 29, police from CID Commercial Crimes Division in Harare pounced on Chireya and arrested him.
“They searched and recovered his cellphone which contained several Ecocash transactions made by examination candidates. Nothing was recovered,” said Mr Zondwayo.
Online Reporter