Man up for identity theft

Tendai Gukutikwa
A MUTARE man who acquired a driver’s licence in a different name and secured employment at ZimPost with the document was arraigned before the courts.

Fresha Gonera (40) appeared before Mutare magistrate, Mrs Nyasha Kuture facing allegations of being found in possession of articles for criminal use as defined in Section 40 of the Criminal Law (Reform and Codification) Act, Chapter 9:23.

Mr Shepherd Chavarika prosecuted. Allegations were that detectives on patrol arrested and searched Gonera and found him in possession of a Zimbabwean metal identity card which stated that he was a citizen of the country, a Zimbabwean plastic identity card which started that he was an alien and a Zimbabwean driver’s licence with a different name and date of birth, but with his photograph.

“The driver’s licence belonged to one Leonard Ngwenya from Gokwe and it was written that he was born on July 10, 1975 whereas the two I.D cards belonged to Fresha Gonera who was born on February 1, 1975. All documents had one identity number, 75-293605-Z-75 and the accused person’s photograph,” said Mr Chavarika.

Gonera denied the charges, saying he had no intention of using the said particulars for criminal use, but that the Central Vehicle Registry department had made a mistake when he had applied for a driver’s licence in 2000.

“My driver’s licence was delivered with a different name and date of birth, but my photo and I.D number were the same. All along I have been trying to rectify this error with the CVR, but there has been no help so I have resorted to using that same licence. When I lost my metal I.D card, I applied for a replacement and got a plastic one. After I had obtained a new one, somebody brought me the old one,” he told the court.

Testifying in court, Mrs Lucia Kayela from the Central Vehicle Registry denied ever having received Gonera’s complaint about anomalies on his licence.

“Instead, he went along and secured employment with ZimPost as a driver and later as a data capture clerk using the name Leonard Ngwenya. If as he wants the court to believe he attempted to rectify the problem, he should have surrendered the documents and not walked around using them to secure employment.

“The Registrar General’s Office confirmed that Fresha Gonera and Leonard Ngwenya are two different people.”