adminMercy Ngwebvu
A FORMER Ministry of National Housing employee and an accomplice are alleged to have defrauded an unsuspecting woman of $3 450 after selling her a non-existent stand.
Appearing before Mutare magistrate Mr Poterai Gwezhira this week, Wonder Gapa and Zondai Gudo pleaded not guilty to the fraud charges they were facing.
Prosecutor Mr Malvern Musarurwa told the court that Gapa and his friend, Zondai Gudo, took advantage of the Government-initiated Garikai Phase Two Housing Project and duped several people into believing that they were selling residential stands.
“Sometime in May 2012, the two, acting in connivance, hatched a plan to defraud the complainant, Stella Chirara. Chirara was referred to Gapa by her hair dresser and when she called the accused, he later went to her house in Yeovil where he lied to her that he was selling Stand Number 9575, which lawfully belonged to Caren Ndurumwa.
“Gapa and Gudo went to inspect Ndurumwa’s stand with the complainant and she was satisfied. Acting on trust, she paid them $2 700 after signing a fake agreement of sale which had been drafted by Gapa. She later paid the balance of $750 later that month,” said Mr Musarurwa.
The matter came to light when the complainant saw a notice in the newspaper inviting Ndurumwa to the Ministry of National Housing offices for the verification of her stand records as there had been a double allocation of Stand Number 9575.
Chirara went to the offices and was told that she had been duped and this led to the duo’s arrest. Mr Gwezhira was expected to sentence the two today .
Online Reporter