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Abel Zhakata Senior Court Reporter
FORMER Mutare Deputy Mayor — Itayi Masaka — has been hauled before the courts on fraud charges arising from a botched commercial stand deal in which he allegedly sold a non-existent piece of land to a local businessman, defrauding him of $5 350 in the process.
However, Masaka denied the charges when he appeared in court last Friday before senior magistrate, Mr Langton Mukwengi.
The case goes for trial today (Friday) in Court B.
Public prosecutor, Mr Fletcher Karombe, told the court that Peter Makadzange (29) of House Number 9666, Area 16, Dangamvura was defrauded by the former MDC-T city father.
“Sometime in August this year, the complainant approached the accused person at his shop in the Central Business District and told him that he was interested in a commercial stand which he heard that he was selling.
“The accused person told the complainant that he was selling the commercial stand Number 4407, Chikanga 2 for $10 000. The two agreed and settled for a selling price of $7 500 and that the payment was to be done in instalments,” said Mr Karombe.
The court heard that Makadzange paid an initial instalment of $500 to Masaka towards purchasing the stand.
“On August 26, the accused person went to the complainant’s shop and was given another $500. Four days later on August 30, the complainant made a bank transfer of $2 500 into the accused’s Steward Bank, Account Number 1003350114. Last month, the complainant send his employee, Farai Mutengo with $2 500 and gave the accused person.
“On October 26, the complainant went to the accused person with the total balance of $2 150 such that the accused person would give him the agreement of sale and offer letter from Mutare City Council. The accused person did not produce the required documents,” said Mr Karombe.
Instead, Masaka told the complainant that the papers were destroyed by his wife and he went on to give suspicious explanations.
“On October 30, Masaka and Makadzange went to Mutare Central Police Station where they tried to resolve the matter. The accused person wrote an affidavit statement stating that he was going to handover the offer letter of the stand in question on November 1, 2016, but nothing materialised,’ he said.
Online Reporter