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Court Reporter
A Harare lawyer Mrs Concillia Maheya has appeared in court on allegations of forging title deeds.
Maheya was facing fraud charges when she appeared before Harare regional magistrate Mrs Marehwanazvo Gofa.
She was freed on US$100 bail.
It is the State’s case that sometime in October 2021, the complainant intended to purchase a residential stand in Harare and she approached one Templeton Chadyiwa, an estate agent who referred her to stand in 2308 Bluffhill Township, Harare which he indicated was on sale.
The court heard that the complainant visited the stand site for viewing, was impressed and requested to meet the owner of the stand.
It is alleged that Chadyiwa took her to Maheya who was working at Maseko Law Chambers, who claimed to be acting on behalf of the owner Zvatinowona Tsitsi Kujeke.
Maheya allegedly confirmed that the stand was indeed on sale for US$30 000.
Maheya showed the complainant a title deed which she said was for the stand. On October 29, 2021, the complainant entered into an agreement of sale to purchase the property and Maheya signed on behalf of the purported seller. The complainant then made a payment of US$30 000 to Maheya.
The court heard that Maheya was handed over USD$30 000 to hold in trust whilst making sure that the transfer of ownership and the sell was being done above board before effecting a payment to the purported owner.
The complainant also made a payment of US$500 to Maheya for conveyancing services.
The State alleges that a few weeks after the transaction, the complainant contacted Maheya to collect the title deeds she was not forth coming.
The complainant visited the Deeds Office to verify the authenticity of the stand title deeds and was informed that the deed which she was shown was forged.
The complainant was also told that the Deeds Office was holding on to the forged deeds for the purposes of destroying them.
However, the Deeds Office confirmed that the stand had legitimate title deeds which were different from the ones she was shown by Maheya.
On December 3, 2022 the complainant confronted the accused who offered her Lot 327 Block 8, Hatfield of Hatfield Estate for sell as compensation while she was fully aware that she had no legal right from the Master in terms of section 120 of the Administration of Estate.
The agreement did not go through since the accused person had no consent to sell culminating in the complainant reporting the matter to the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission leading to Maheya’s arrest.
Online Reporter