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Abel Zhakata
Senior Reporter
ECONET Mutare almost lost $750 000 to a 38-year-old Chiredzi man who duped the company into believing that his dead mother was still alive, before going on to open a life assurance policy for her and claiming money a year later.
Phillip Kasu was slapped with a five-year jail term after he pleaded guilty to fraud when he appeared before Ms Fungai Muringi at Mutasa Magistrates’ Court.
Kasu will serve an effective three-year jail term after two years were suspended on condition of good behaviour.
Public prosecutor, Mr Tinashe Madziwa said the offence was committed in January 2021.
“On August 1, 2020, Kasu’s mother, Mrs Ethel Kasu died and was buried under the Johanne Marange Church customs. The death was not registered.
“On January 15, 2021, Kasu hatched a plan to defraud Econet Mutare and registered his mother under the EcoSure Premium package on the pretext that she was alive and he was the beneficiary of that policy. The accused person started paying monthly premiums,” said Mr Madziwa.
On December 10, 2021, Kasu approached his village head, Mr Rufairi Tafamombe and ordered him to stamp and sign a blank page.
Kasu went home and fraudulently wrote on the blank page that his mother had died on December 5, 2021.
Equipped with the letter, Kasu went to Mutasa Registrar General’s office and produced an affidavit plus the letter for processing of a death certificate.
He was subsequently issued with the document.
Kasu then went to Econet Mutare to claim a payment from his mother’s policy.
He submitted the death certificate, as well as a claim form signed by Fungai Kasu and Enock Gwetanyi corroborating that Mrs Ethel Kasu had died on December 5, 2021.
The offence was discovered just before $750 000 was transferred into the accused person’s ZB account.
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