Chronicle Editor
Nomvelo Siziba, Chronicle Reporter
The love for beer has landed a Victoria Falls man behind bars after he was sentenced to five months in prison for using a forged Ecocash message to buy a crate of opaque beer.
Wonderful Muzamba (30) of Mkhosana approached a bar lady Ms Jennifer Tshuma at a local night club and showed her a counterfeit message purporting that he had paid RTGS$157 for 12 by 1,25 litres of opaque beer.
Muzamba was arrested before leaving the nightclub after Ms Tshuma phoned her superior inquiring if the transaction had gone through and was told that it had not.
Muzamba pleaded guilty to fraud when he appeared before the Victoria Falls magistrate Ms Rangarirai Gakanje yesterday.
He told the court that a friend of his had done the transaction on his behalf and he only presented the phone to the bar lady to confirm the message.
The magistrate slapped Muzamba with an effective five months in prison.
For the State Mr Japhinos Tavengwa said Muzamba went to the bar with the intention to defraud the bar lady.
“On the 22nd of October 2019 around 11.30PM and at G-Spot Night Club, Muzamba made a misrepresentation to Ms Tshuma that he had paid for 12 by 1,25 litres of beer worth RTGS$157. Ms Tshuma verified with the owner who told her that no transaction had gone through to his Ecocash number,” said Mr Tavengwa.
A report was made to the police leading to Muzamba’s arrest.
Investigations showed that Muzamba had presented a fake message. Recently, five other Ecocash fraudsters were sentenced by the same court.
Bhekinkosi Ngwenya, Mlungisi Mpala, Mqondisi Mpofu, Gracious Tshuma all from Jambezi outside Victoria Falls and William Masuku (32) of Mkhosana suburb committed the offences between April and last month.
They were each sentenced to 10 months in jail of which two months were suspended on condition of good behaviour while th remaining eight months were commuted to community service.—@nomvelosiziba
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