Pair nabbed for tricking visually impared to sale house twice

Midlands Correspondent
POLICE in Gweru have arrested two men for allegedly tricking their elderly blind relative to sale her house to two different people. The two were arrested after their relative, Lizzy Mhike (76), who has been serving a jail term after being convicted of fraud, was released through the Attorney General’s Office pending a review of her case.

Police spokesperson for Midlands Inspector Emmanuel Mahoko yesterday confirmed the arrest of Patrick Makubaza (60) and Lewis Mabhechu (31) both of Mkoba Village 14.

Insp Mahoko could, however, not give further information on the matter, saying he was yet to get full details from the relevant police station.

Police sources close to the case said Makubaza and Mabhechu were arrested on Friday evening when Ms Mhike indicated that she was tricked into selling the house to two different people.

“Ms Mhike was interviewed at Gweru Rural Police Station soon after her release from WhaWha Prison on Friday. During the interview, she said she was shocked to see herself behind bars while two of her relatives, Makubaza and Mabhechu who approached her with the idea of selling the house to a second person were free men,” said the source.

The source said Ms Mhike indicated that she was advised to sell the house to a second person after the two suspects convinced her that they would refund the first buyer.

“Investigations later revealed that the two were forging the elderly woman’s signatures in the process of selling the house to another person. They had opened a joint account with CABS, number 9050509969 in which the two accused had asked the second buyer to deposit the money,” said the source.

Chronicle saw a bank statement for the joint account in which the second buyer, Mrs Berita Chiminha, deposited $4 000.

The bank account, which has the names of Messrs LP Mabhechu and Makubaza, now has a balance of $10.

“Investigations also revealed that the elderly woman did not receive anything from the second sale. It also emerged that the two shared the money. They only used a little out of the money to conduct a traditional ceremony for Ms Mhike’s late husband,” said the police source.