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Prosper Dembedza-Court Correspondent
The trial of a Harare man, Michael Mutsvunguma, who is facing a fraud charge after allegedly swindling a ZB bank employee of US$18 000 in a botched car sale deal, continued yesterday with his lawyer claiming that his client received death threats from the complainant.
While cross examining the complainant, Colleta Mhishi, Mutsvunguma’s lawyer, Nomatter Kadoko, said his client received threats from people who claimed to have been sent by a policeman only identified as Superintendent Maunganidze.
Asked by the accused’s defence to comment on the status of her relationship with Maunganidze, Mhishi told the court that she only knew him as a police officer. The defence also claimed that Mhishi once told Mutsvunguma that this transaction would get him killed.
Mutsvunguma last week tendered his defence outline to Harare magistrate Mrs Chido Garwe denying receiving any cent from Mhishi.
Mutsvunguma told the court that on the day Mhishi claims to have given him the money for the purchase of a car, he was away facilitating the processing of a post-mortem on his father-in-law.
He said he was in the company of a homicide police team which included Constable Cherai, Sergeants Musakaruka and Ernest Arufaneti.
The complainant claims that the money was in payment for a Mercedes Benz which the accused was selling.
Mutsvunguma said he had no vehicle that was on sale adding that the complainant had a deal with his sister, Victoria Dhlamini, who is on the run.
He said the complainant wanted to take away his vehicle through misrepresentation.
Online Reporter