onlinemedia
Prosper Dembedza
Herald Correspondent
An inmate currently serving a jail term at Chikurubi Maximum Prison for fraud has been slapped with an additional six years after being found guilty of perjury with the intention to deceive, the High Court of Zimbabwe, after he submitted fake agreement of sale documents in a botched property deal.
Harare Regional Magistrate, Mr Stanford Mambanje, initially slapped Washington Ferera with a seven-year jail term before setting aside one year on condition of good behaviour.
Ferera (41) pleaded not guilty during the trial.
Mr Mambanje further ruled that the State witness, Norman Mugiya, testified before the court with solid evidence proving that Ferera and his wife, who is still on the run, instructed Mugiya to process the title deeds, which were back-dated in order for them to acquire the land.
Harare lawyer, Mrs Tendai Rusinahama, represented the complainant.
Prosecutor, Mrs Cecilia Mashingaidze, said sometime between January 2018 and March 2018, Ferera and Scholastic Muringai, with the intention to deceive, the High Court signed a back-dated fake agreement of sale for a property, Lot 358 of Prospect measuring 25,1499 hectares to Schomet Industrial Holdings Private Limited, with Ferera purporting to represent the seller and Muringai representing the purported buyer.
The State proved that, through this misrepresentation, the High Court and other relevant authorities transferred title deeds from Shomet Industrial Holdings to Maride Investments Trust through a court order without the use of the original title deeds.
It was established that Muringai attached a back-dated fake agreement of sale to her founding affidavit in the matter under HC2670/2018, which she filed with the High Court of Zimbabwe.
Shomet Industrial Holdings suffered a potential prejudice of US$4 200 000 due to the misrepresentation to the High Court.
Online Reporter