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Yeukai Karengezeka
Court Correspondent
A man who pretended to be an employee of the Ministry of Lands and defrauded people who were seeking plots in Beatrice has been sentenced to effective two years in jail.
Rodgers Kasiya (46) was convicted on four counts of fraud by Harare magistrate Mrs Nyaradzo Manokore.
Mrs Manokore initially sentenced him to 24 months imprisonment and suspended six months on condition of good behaviour.
The court took into account that Kasiya had a previous conviction on similar charges and she effected the six months that had been suspended to make him serve an effective 24 months.
Prosecuting, Ms Faith Mukanhaira proved that Kasiya met the complainant Benjamin Chisora after being referred by a friend that he worked at the Ministry of Lands and was promised he could get a plot.
The two met at the corner of Samora Machel Avenue and Fifth Street in Harare and Kasiya told Chisora to pay US$250 to process the offer letter for a plot at Sheffield Farm in Beatrice .
Afterwards, he was shown part of the plot and he took some pictures.
Kasiya was later given a total of US$450 but never issued the offer letter. Instead, he kept on giving excuses.
Chisora then went to the farm on his own for investigations and he met the farm manager who told him that the farm was named Killet Farm and not Sheffield Farm as stated by Kasiya.
The farm manager further indicated that the farm was not for sale.
On April 13 this year, Chisora set up a trap and managed to apprehend Kasiya who was found in possession of some offer letters.
The US$450 was never recovered.
It was established that he also defrauded Virginia Dzenga of U$750 using the same modus operandi .
Other complainants are Mark Marimira who lost US$450 and Thomas Ruziye who was fleeced of US$750 and nothing was recovered.
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