Home-seeker loses $20k

Tendai Rupapa Senior Court Reporter
A Harare woman allegedly misrepresented to a home-seeker that she was the legitimate owner of a stand in Bluffhill and forged a deed of transfer before swindling the complainant of $20 000.

Marvelous Culvate (36) of 6450 Manyame Park, Chitungwiza, reportedly told Levionch Sidina that she was selling the stand for $25 000 and after receiving $20 000, she then vanished.

Culvate on Tuesday appeared before magistrate Mr Tendai Mahwe, charged with fraud.

She denied the charges and was remanded in custody to today for trial.

Her alleged accomplices were still on the run.

Prosecutor Ms Sharon Mashavira, alleged that on April 7, Sidina saw an advertisement for a residential stand in a local newspaper and responded to the advert.

According to the advert, the residential stand which is in Bluffhill, Harare was being sold for $25 000 and the complainant called the number given.

The owner of the supplied number introduced himself as Mr Kaswa who claimed to be the brother of the owner of the stand who in this case was said to be Culvate.

It is the State’s case that the said Mr Kaswa gave the complainant the full address where the stand is located and he went to view it and got interested.

On April 10 Sidina was given a copy of the deed of transfer by one Leonard who was masquerading as Culvate’s agent, the court heard.

On April 11 the complainant and the purported agent proceeded to Chivhu to meet Culvate and Sidina entered into an agreement of sale with Culvate.

After signing the agreement of sale, the complainant, the State alleged, gave Culvate $20 000 cash and as per their agreement the balance of $5 000 was to be paid in instalments.

After some days the complainant tried to contact the gang for them to finalise the deal but to no avail.

The complainant took the copy of the deed of transfer to the Registrar of Deeds office for verification and was advised that the copy was fake.

Sidina reported the matter to the police after discovering that he had been duped leading to the arrest of Culvate.