Zvikomborero Parafini
A 41-year-old Harare man is facing seven counts of fraud after allegedly using fake international bank transfer confirmations to acquire office space, furniture and aluminium fittings from unsuspecting businesses in the capital.
Tatenda Dinno Mudimu, of Epworth, is accused of masquerading as a businessman with a United Kingdom-based company and presenting forged HSBC bank transfer receipts to convince businesses that payments had been made.
According to court documents, Mudimu allegedly prejudiced several businesses of a combined US$33 220, with property worth US$5,362 recovered by police.
In one of the incidents, Mudimu allegedly approached Karigamombe Centre Property Portfolio in August this year seeking office space to rent.
He was offered a three-month lease agreement and requested to settle the rental payments through an international bank transfer.
On October 28, he allegedly presented a fake HSBC wire transfer confirmation purporting to show that his UK-based company had transferred US$21 000 into the property company’s bank account.
Acting on the purported proof of payment, the property managers allowed him to sign a lease agreement and occupy office space on the 19th floor of Karigamombe Centre.
The alleged fraud was subsequently discovered, with the company reporting a US$21 000 loss.
In another incident, Mudimu allegedly approached Sahai Furniture Private Limited on October 22 and ordered three water dispensers, six office and visitors’ chairs, four executive chairs and an HP printer valued at US$2 050.
He allegedly requested the company’s banking details, claiming that payment would be made through an international bank transfer.
On October 31, he presented what prosecutors say was a forged HSBC transfer confirmation indicating that US$2 050 had been deposited into the company’s account.
The furniture was subsequently released to him before the company discovered that the payment confirmation was fraudulent.
Police later recovered property valued at US$1 950. Mudimu is also accused of targeting Fitters Aluminium Private Limited, where he allegedly ordered aluminium shopfront materials worth US$1 132 and requested office partitioning services.
He allegedly presented another fake HSBC transfer confirmation purporting to show that his company had transferred US$38 000.
The company released the aluminium materials, which were subsequently recovered following police investigations.
In a separate incident, Mudimu allegedly approached Madrugada Private Limited at Karimapondo Mall along Leopold Takawira Road seeking office space.
He was offered a three-month lease agreement and allegedly presented a forged international bank transfer confirmation showing that US$4 800 had been paid into the company’s account.
The company allowed him to occupy the premises before discovering the alleged deception.
Police investigations allegedly established that Mudimu used the same cellphone to generate fake proof-of-payment documents and communicate with the affected businesses.
Detectives also recovered alleged fraudulent payment confirmations and other business transaction documents from his possession.
The State further alleges that Mudimu used a Zimbabwean national identity document belonging to another person to register his Econet cellphone number in an attempt to conceal his true identity.
Police say some of the property was recovered from his alleged workplace, while other items were traced to people to whom he had sold them.
Mudimu was arrested on November 3 following investigations by detectives from the CID Commercial Crimes Division in Harare.
