Prison con-artist busted

Liberty Dube

Post Correspondent

A Mutare man was last week hauled before the courts for trying to dupe a Mutare woman of US$50 after promising to facilitate the release of her jailed husband.

Simbarashe Mupuradzuva (44) was not asked to plead when he appeared before Mutare provincial magistrate, Ms Nyasha Kuture, facing charges of impersonation as defined in Section 179 (1) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, Chapter 9:23.

Mupuradzuva impersonated a prison officer and solicited for US$50 from Belinda Kamupunga under the pretext that he would facilitate the release of her husband, Ronald Sigauke, who is serving a two-year jail term at Mutare Farm Prison.

Said principal public prosecutor, Mr Tiriwamambo Kangai: “Sometime in January 2021, Mupuradzuva who alleged to be an officer from the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services phoned Kamupunga’s mother, Ms Martha Kainga, who is in South Africa, demanding US$50 for food so that he could facilitate the release of Sigauke from Mutare Farm Prison. Mupuradzuva alleged that there was shortage of food at Mutare Farm Prison.

“Kainga advised Kamupunga of the development and told her to communicate with Mupuradzuva. Kamupunga called Mupuradzuva who identified himself as a ZPCS officer stationed at Mutare Farm Prison.”

However, Kamupunga suspected that Mupuradzuva could be a con-artist.

On February 10, Kamupunga called Mupuradzuva and told him that she had secured the money and would hand it over the following day.

Mupuradzuva ordered Kamupunga to meet him at Mutare Central Police Station, saying it was near his workplace.

On February 11, Kamupunga alerted prison officials of the matter before meeting Mupuradzuva. She was escorted by prison officials to Mutare Central Police Station.

“A trap was arranged and Kamupunga handed over two notes of US$5 to Muparadzuva. The notes’ serial numbers had been recorded. The police moved in swiftly to arrest Mupuradzuva. They searched him and recovered the trap money from his trousers,” said Mr Kangai.

Mupuradzuva was released on $10 000 bail and will be back in the dock on April 2 for trial.