Online Reporter
Zvikomborero Parafini
Serial fraudster Prosper Biziweck who stole former minister Dzingai Mutumbuka’s house was on Monday sentenced to three years imprisonment.
Biziweck was convicted after a full trial by Harare magistrate Ethel Chichera.
He was being charged together with Tatenda Shaft Wakatama, who was acquitted.
The State represented by Tafara Chirambira and Kudzanai Mudzamiri proved that on June 20 2021, Biziweck connived with one Jonah Ngome to steal Mutumbuka’s house.
They proceeded to the Deeds Registry Office, where, with the help of officials from Deeds Registry Office, pulled the original title deed in the name of Dzingai Mutumbuka, being Title Deed Number 4480/88, for House Number 90 Harare Drive, Chisipite, Harare, also known as Stand Number 184 Rolf Valley Township, Salisbury.
After acquiring the original title deed, the duo then created a counterfeit title deed, for the same but in the name of Jonah Ngome.
Biziweck advertised the house, for sale, on various social media platforms.
Harrison Marange came across the advert, and liked the property, and he arranged to meet the “sellers” of the house, being Biziweck and Ngome.
The meeting took place after Biziweck had engaged a legal practitioner, Kenias Mutyasira, who then prepared an agreement of sale, between Marange and his wife Demetria Zirenga, as the buyers, and Ngome as the seller.
Biziweck met with Marange and his wife and settled for the purchase price of US$140 000.
The payment of the purchase price was broken down as follows: US$90 000 deposit to be paid after the agreement of sale was signed among the parties, and the balance of US$50 000 to be paid on registration of the transfer of the property.
The couple paid US$45 000 on September 29, 2021, as part the deposit and another US$45000 was to be paid on October 12 but the police intercepted the transaction before the second payment had been made.
Biziweck and Ngome shared the profits between themselves.
The Registrar of Deeds, Absolom Magwere, confirmed that the Title Deed Number 4480/88, in the name of JONAH NGOME, was fake, while the one in the name of Dzingai Barnabas Mutumbuka was the original one.
Biziweck was sentenced to three years imprisonment and one year was suspended on condition that he does not commit a similar offence in the next five years and two years are effective.
Mathew Masinge