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Tendai Rupapa Senior Court Reporter
A Harare businessman has been arrested and brought to court on allegations of fraud involving close to half a million dollars. Hussen Noor (38), the director of Mailcraft Enterprises (Pvt) Ltd, allegedly learnt about the sale of three properties in Harare belonging to Baloo Laxman and obtained a fake power of attorney before approaching a conveyancer purporting to be Laxman.
He instructed the conveyancer to sell the properties on his behalf.
After the properties were sold for US$489 000, Noor sought the services of Fawcetts Security to collect the money.
Noor appeared before magistrate Mr Milton Serima on Monday and was remanded in custody.
Prosecutor Miss Sharon Mashavira opposed bail while Noor’s lawyer, Mr Steven Rugwaro of Rugwaro and Associates, submitted that his client was a proper candidate for bail.
It is the State’s case that sometime in February last year, Baloo Laxman offered for sale his three properties which were being leased to Jet, Edgars, Downshop and Coloursel Furniture.
Noor and his accomplice identified as Gift – who is still at large – learnt about the sale and phoned Jolie Obert, a conveyancer, purporting to be Laxman.
Noor misrepresented to Obert that he was the owner of the said properties and instructed him to sell them on his behalf and do conveyancing, the court heard.
Sometime in April, a businessman, Tawanda Mugwira, expressed interest in two of the properties and Obert advised Noor on the assumption that it was Laxman.
It is the State’s case that Noor supplied a fake power of attorney purporting to be coming from Laxman giving Obert the mandate to sell the property.
As a result of the misrepresentation, Mugwira went to Obert’s law firm, Jarvis Palframan Legal Practitioners, and paid US$320 000 cash to Obert towards the purchase of the two properties.
During the same month, Obert sold the third property to Coloursel Furniture for US$169 000.
The case was reported to the police leading to Noor’s arrest on January 9.
The State alleges that Noor used part of the money to buy a brand new Isuzu twin cab.
Online Reporter