Online Reporter
Danisa Masuku, Court Writer
A former Supreme Court judge’s driver, 39-year-old Henry Ntini, has been found guilty of fraud after swindling a convict’s wife of US$4 800 by promising to secure bail for her husband. His co-accused, Zamani Gwizi, was acquitted in the same scandal.
Zamani Gwizi (47), of Bulawayo’s Nkulumane suburb, and his accomplice Henry Ntini, a Southwold resident and former judicial driver, appeared before Bulawayo Provincial Magistrate Mr Richard Ramaboea to face fraud charges. In his ruling, the magistrate cleared Gwizi of the charges but convicted Ntini.
“There is no way the court can connect Zamani to fraud because he was acting in agreement with the complainant. Was any fraud committed?
There was no fraud, this was theft, and the person who promised to help secure bail is Ntini and was given the money.
“He even signed an affidavit stating that he was returning the US$2 300 after the complainant Ms Jane Queen Ghoveya, pressured him to return the money.
Ntini’s evidence was defective and he knew that by collecting the money, he was committing the crime and he admitted that he returned the money to save his job,” said Mr Ramaboea.
Gwizi was represented by his lawyer, Mr Tinashe Dzipe, while Ntini represented himself. Ntini is scheduled to return to court this Friday, January 9, for sentencing.
Outlining the State’s case, prosecutor Mr Denmark Chihombe told the court that in November 2023, the complainant’s husband, Khumbulani Sithole, was convicted of murder at the Bulawayo High Court and sentenced to 10 years in prison.
During that same month, Sithole engaged a lawyer to appeal against the sentence; however, the appeal was dismissed.
The court heard that Gwizi, a family friend of the couple, visited Sithole at Khami Maximum Prison.
During their conversation, Gwizi claimed there was a man at the Supreme Court who could facilitate bail pending appeal.
“He told him the man needed US$3 500. The complainant, through his wife, gave Gwizi US$4 800 to facilitate the granting of bail,” the prosecutor said.
On November 21, when the Supreme Court sat to hear the application, the appeal was dismissed, with the sitting judge noting that “it was improperly done.”
Realising she had been duped, Ms Ghoveya made several unsuccessful attempts to recover the money from the duo.
Her efforts proved fruitless, leading her to report the matter to the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) Commercial Crimes Division (CCD), resulting in the pair’s arrest.
Londile Moyo