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Zvikomborero Parafini
CONTROVERSIAL City Football Academy founder, Agripa Guti, has been thrown into custody after facing fresh fraud charges after he allegedly defrauded another parent who intended to send his children to Manchester City trials in the United Kingdom.
He posed as an agent of the English Premiership champions.
Guti (35) appeared before magistrate Caroline Matanga, who remanded him in custody to Friday for trial commencement.
Prosecutor Boniface Musvaire applied to marry the fresh charges, with the eight other counts that Guti is already facing.
In the latest count, the complainant is Peter Haukozi.
His sons used to be trained by Guti at his academy.
In August last year, Guti misrepresented to Haukozi that he wanted to go to the United Kingdom with his sons for trials with Manchester City.
Guti gave Haukozi an invitation letter that claimed his children had been invited to the UK for trials.
Haukozi, acting on the misrepresentation, went on to pay US$8000 towards that but nothing ever materialised till he filed a police report.
The court also heard that in 2022, the first complainant, Cuthbert Chitima, wanted his son to go for football trials in Europe.
Chitima met Guti at Alexandra Sports Club.
The State alleged that during their conversation, Guti allegedly misrepresented that he was able to send Chitima’s son to Dubai to train at the Manchester City Football Club Satellite Youth Training Facilities.
Guti indicated that the trials were due to be held between June 2022 and December 2023.
He told Chitima that the whole programme would cost US$2000.
Chitima paid the full amount anticipating that his son would go for the trials.
In June last year, Guti gave Chitima an invitation letter, which stated that his son had been invited for the trials.
Guti indicated that Chitima was required to accompany his son to Dubai as he was still a minor.
In August, Chitima, his son and Guti went to Dubai for the trials.
Upon arrival in Dubai at the Manchester City Football Club Training Facilities, the officials there denied ever inviting Chitima’s son for trials.
They disowned the Manchester City logo, which was on the invitation letter, which prompted Chitima to suspect that he had been duped.
Guti promised to pay back the money but never did until Chitima filed a police report leading to his arrest.
Using the same modus operandi, Guti defrauded Justice Nyevhe of US$2500, Didymus Mandinenga of US$930 and Egton Tsuronzuma of US$3800.
Online Reporter