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A Harare businessman arrested recently for selling an industrial stand to two people for $80 000 each was last Thursday ordered by a Harare magistrate to pay back over $28 000 to one of the buyers by the end of this month. Wellborne Hativagone (57) of Highlands, who is the owner of Mariwebb (Pvt) Ltd of 12 Esap Way in Willowvale, paid $5 000 on the day of the court appearance through a trust account to the buyer and has until July 30 to pay back the rest.
Hativagone was recently jailed for three years, of which one year was suspended for five years on condition that he does not commit a similar offence within that period. The remaining two years were wholly suspended on condition that he pays back the money.
According to prosecutor Ms Dorah Moyo, sometime in February 2013, Hativagone approached the complainant, who is self-employed, at 312 Esap Way in Willowvale and informed him that he was selling Stand 544 Affirmative Road in Willowvale.
The complainant was interested and they entered into a verbal agreement for the sale of the stand for $80 000. Hativagone requested for an initial deposit of $20 000 and the complainant offered his house in Glen View as part payment for the premises.
The two agreed that the complainant was going to surrender his house, which was valued at $42 000, and he would pay the balance in cash. The complainant paid a total of $28 379 from September 6, 2013 to August 6 2014. In November, the complainant was approached by Petros Chigodora of Strathaven, Harare, who informed him that he had bought the same stand from Hativagone in 2013.
The complainant approached Hativagone and asked him of the new developments and was not given a satisfactory answer and the matter was reported to the police and Hativagone was arrested.
Online Reporter