admin
Zvikomborero Parafini
CONTROVERSIAL businessman, Prosper Bizwork, who is being accused of assembling a gang to steal a couple’s low density stand worth US$97 000, has been denied bail.
Bizwork and his accomplices – Samson Mushayi, Erick Ndamuka Dube, Amos Chisvo,Tedious Marufu and Patience Nhope – initially appeared in court on Thursday.
Magistrate Donald Ndirowei read the operative part of the verdict only and said the reasons were to follow.
The court heard that last year, the gang connived to steal from unsuspecting property owners and targeted Octavious Chikonyora, a businessman, and his wife Previous Danda.
They then went on to illegally advertise the stand known as 589 Rietontein Township of Lot 15, Rietfontein, Harare.
Bizwork, as the suspected mastermind, hired two individuals, Nhope and another one only known as Collen, to act as the purported owners and sellers of the stand.
He facilitated the generation of fictitious identity cards in the name of Danda and Chikonyora.
Bizwork allegedly went on to incorporate Marufu into the deal and tasked him to look for an agent to sell the stand.
Investigations established that Samson Mushayi, who is a former conveyance clerk at TK Hove and Partners, went on to create a duplicate title deed used to sell the house.
He allegedly facilitated the ZIMRA interviews and the transfer of the property into the name of the buyers.
Dube advertised the stand under a marketing company called Rockwel Land Developers and said it was for sale for US$92 000.
The unsuspecting buyers, Max Merit Msutu and Tario Chingaya, paid a total of US$97 500 to the gang.
Bizwork has a similar case pending in the provincial court in which he is accused of forging the title deeds of House No 90, along Harare Drive in Chisipite, which is registered in the name of former Minister Dzingai Mutumbuka.
Anesu Chirenje appeared for the State.
Mathew Masinge
Online Reporter