Man loses Benz in stand deal

Tendai Rupapa Senior Court Reporter
A Harare man allegedly lost his Mercedes Benz to a suspected fraudster who took it away on the pretext that he wanted a test drive after they had agreed to swap it with two stands.

The complainant later discovered that the said stands were non-existent.

Tongai Marufu (32) misrepresented to the complainant that he was selling two residential stands in Zengeza 5, Chitungwiza.

Acting on the misrepresentation, the complainant agreed to swap the stands with his vehicle which Marufu took for a “test drive” and never came back.

Marufu yesterday appeared before magistrate Mr Tendai Mahwe charged with fraud involving $8 000.

He was remanded to August 14 on $100 bail.

On August 19 last year, Marufu, after misrepresenting to the complainant about the stands which he claimed to have acquired from Multipurpose Housing Cooperative, referred him to some offices in town. Marufu allegedly lied to the complainant that they were Multipurpose housing cooperative’s offices and referred him to the office where a woman who identified herself as the receptionist issued him with a receipt as proof of payment for the stands.

Prosecuting, Ms Sharon Mashavira further alleged that on August 26, Marufu went to the complainant’s workplace and showed him the site plan of the residential stands.

He then advised the complainant that he wanted to test drive the vehicle before signing the agreement of sale and the complainant complied and gave him the vehicle.

The pair agreed that they would meet at the site later that day and when the complainant went to the site using another vehicle, he discovered that there were some structures and people living there who told him that they were the owners of the stands, the State alleged.

The complainant then waited for Marufu at the site, but he did not show up.

Efforts to contact him were fruitless as his mobile phone had been switched off. The complainant discovered that he had been duped prompting him to make a report to the police.

Marufu was arrested on July 16 this year.