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Yeukai Karengezeka–Court Correspondent
Zimbabwe’s Deputy Ambassador to Namibia, Cathrine Mauswa, was allegedly defrauded of a vehicle worth US$40 000 by an accountant at Marondera Municipality.
The vehicle belonged to the estate of Deputy Ambassador Mauswa’s late husband.
Tinashe Mungwena (38) appeared before Harare regional magistrate Mr Donald Ndirowei, who remanded him to June 11. Bail issues did not arise since he was coming from home.
The complainant is Deputy Ambassador Mauswa, who is employed by Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade.
Prosecutor Mr Lancelot Mutsokoti alleged that sometime in 2022, Deputy Ambassador Mauswa’s late husband, Never Besa, acquired a Toyota Fortuner from High Range Land Developers, Harare.
Since 2022, Deputy Ambassador Mauswa has been personally using the motor vehicle after she had agreed with her husband that it was her personal vehicle. Later Mr Besa allegedly gave Mungwena the motor vehicle in trust for temporary use.
On March 7, Deputy Ambassador Mauswa’s husband was involved in a road traffic accident in Victoria Falls, which claimed his life. At that time, Mungwena was in possession of the vehicle in question.
Thereafter, Deputy Ambassador Mauswa then requested Mungwena to return the vehicle as it formed part of her late husband’s estate. Mungwena allegedly refused to return the motor vehicle, saying he bought the motor vehicle from Mr Besa on September 8 last year.
He said he had partly paid the purchase price and no agreement of sale was crafted since the deal was based on trust because Mr Besa was his friend and workmate. Mungwena allegedly took advantage of the death of Deputy Ambassador Mauswa’s husband and that he was in possession of the motor vehicle at the time of her husband’s demise. This prompted Deputy Ambassador Mauswa to report the matter to police in Harare.
On April 20, Mungwena surrendered himself to police at CID Vehicle Theft Squad Harare and upon being interviewed, it was established that he surrendered the motor vehicle to ZRP Bulawayo Traffic through his wife, after he learnt that there was a reported case.
Online Reporter