For the love of wise waters

Tanyaradzwa Nyahoda
Weekender Reporter

THE love of beer earned a Mutare security guard 256 hours of unpaid time after he was convicted of defrauding a bottle store using fake Ecocash transactions.

Clive Chuma (30) targeted Sau’s Bottle Store and would pretend to settle his bill through Ecocash transactions. He managed to drown beer worth $5 500 through his trickery.

Chuma recently appeared before Mutare magistrate, Ms Perseverance Makala who convicted him of fraud as defined in Section 136 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform Act), Chapter 9:23.

Prosecuting, Ms Sharon Chibvongodze, said in the first count, Chuma approached a bar lady at Sau’s Bottle Store, Caroline Ngwena on May 18 and ordered beer worth $1 300.

“Chuma told Ngwenya that he will pay for the beer through a Ecocash transaction. Chuma then edited the Ecocash transaction message purporting to have paid $1 300 into Sau Bottle Store account. Ngwena gave Chuma 15 pints of Castle Lager beer and he went away.

“On August 8, Ngwena discovered that he had been duped after Chuma did another fake transaction and reported the matter at Mutare Central Police Station,” said Ms Chibvongodze.

The $1 300 was recovered.

In the second count, on June 16, Chuma used the same modus operandi to ‘buy’ beer from Ngwena.

“Chuma made a misrepresentation to Ngwena that he had paid $1 200 using Ecocash after showing her an edited transaction message,” said Ms Chibvongodze.

In the third count, on July 8, at the same bottle store, Chuma tricked Ngwena and misrepresented to her that he had $1 400 using Ecocash and was given beer.

His luck ran out on August 8 after Chuma misrepresented to Ngwena that he had paid $1 600 using Ecocash.

He showed her an edited Ecocash message, but Ngwena discovered that it was fake.

Chuma admitted committing the offence and restituted Sau Bottle Store $5 500.