admin
Yeukai Karengezeka, Court Correspondent
HARARE lawyer Nyaradzayi Musungwa Maphosa has appeared in court accused of falsifying a birth certificate in order to facilitate a child to illegally benefit from the inheritance of a dead person.
Maphosa was not formally charged with forgery and fraud when she appeared before Harare magistrate Ms Rufaro Panavanhu, who remanded her out of custody to February 11.
The alleged fraud was brought to light by Shingai Bianca Muchenje, who uncovered alleged glaring irregularities during the estate registration process. The anomalies prompted her to report the matter to law enforcement authorities.
According to the State, represented by prosecutor Mr Rufaro Chonzi, the alleged forgery took place between August and November last year.
During this period, Maphosa is accused of conspiring with an accomplice, Nyasha Mavhita, who remains at large, to produce a fraudulent birth certificate bearing entry number 63-3201386 A38.
The document falsely declared an unrelated child as the biological son of the late Zivanai Muchenje.
In addition, Maphosa is accused of forging an affidavit and submitting these falsified documents to the Master of the High Court.
The intention, it is alleged, was to unlawfully include the minor as a beneficiary of Zivanai Muchenje’s estate.
However, official records from the Registrar of Births and Deaths reveal that the child was the son of another person with the Muchenje surname, not the deceased Zivanai Muchenje.
The alleged fraud was uncovered during the estate administration process, leading Shingai Muchenje to lodge a formal complaint with the police.
This resulted in Maphosa’s arrest and the ongoing legal proceedings.
Online Reporter