admin
Prosper Dembedza Harare Correspondent
A suspected land baron from Chitungwiza has appeared in court on allegations of defrauding two unsuspecting home seekers of US$41 000 by using a fake deed of transfer.
Lovejoy Nyamande was facing two counts of fraud when he appeared before Harare Magistrate Mr Dennis Mangosi.
The State opposed bail.
It is the State’s case that sometime in 2022, Nyamande planned to defraud home seekers by creating a fake deed of transfer in the name of the actual owner of the stand, Albert Chauruka.
Nyamande advertised in The Herald newspaper that he was selling a residential stand amounting to US$13 000 and attached his cellphone numbers.
Acting on Nyamande’s misrepresentation, Gugulethu Ncube, who is a clerk in the Ministry of Finance, responded to the advertisement and met Nyamande who produced a national identification card with Albert Chauruka’s name that was ascribed on the deed of transfer document.
It is alleged that on June 26, 2022 Ncube paid US$13 000 through his lawyer to Nyamande who was accompanied by his agent that day.
The offence came to light when Ncube’s lawyer visited the Registrar of Deeds to process the transfer of the property. The lawyer was told that the title deed was fraudulently acquired and it was fake.
On the second count, the complainant John Mupindu’s brother identified only as Takawira came across an advert on Facebook in which an agent named Tafadzwa was selling stand number 2256 Prospect Township of stand 2898 Prospect Township Waterfalls, Harare.
The stand measured 588 square metres valued at US$35 000.
Takawira then informed Mupindu about the stand.
It is alleged that Mupindu got contact details of Nyamande and confirmed that he was the owner of stand number 2256 Prospect Township of stand 2898 Prospect Township Waterfalls, Harare which was up for sale.
Mupindu then went to view the stand in the company of Takawira and they negotiated the price of the stand to US$28 000.
The court heard that sometime in May, Mupindu went on to notify his lawyers at Matsikidze Attorneys at Law with intention to purchase the stand.
The lawyers then requested copies of the Deed of Transfer and national identity card in respect of the seller for them to process the paperwork.
On May 12, Mupindu met Nyamande in Harare’s central business district and he was given a copy of the Deed of Transfer and a national identity card by the accused bearing the names of Harold Mukoyi, the real owner of the stand.
Thereafter, the lawyer went to Deeds Office to carry out due diligence and discovered that the stand was indeed in the name of Harold Mukoyi.
On the same day Mupindu met Nyamande at Matsikidze Law firm at number 7 Frank Johnson, Eastlea, Harare for payment.
The court heard that Mupindu made a payment of US$28 000 cash and both parties signed the agreement of sale. They agreed to meet the following morning at Zimra offices so that they would sign Capital Gains certificate.
It is alleged that Mupindu never received the stand as the title deeds were fake.
Online Reporter