Bunjiwe Mkwananzi
Danisa Masuku [email protected]
A SERIAL fraudster who teamed up with accomplices still at large to swindle unsuspecting Bulawayo residents out of a total of US$930 using parcels filled with stones and leaves has been sentenced to an effective 20 months in prison.
Tawanda Gerald Gumbomunda (30) of Sauerstown suburb was convicted on four counts of fraud by Bulawayo regional magistrate Ms Patience Ururu.
He was sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment on each count, with three months suspended on each, leaving him to serve an effective 20-month jail term.
In passing sentence, Ms Ururu said the State had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.
“You carefully planned how to defraud your victims by exchanging their money for parcels containing stones and leaves wrapped in plastic bags. In your defence, you claimed you had been sent by another person, yet you failed to bring that person before the court,” said the magistrate.
“The victims lost substantial amounts of money and property, and you caused them immense stress. A custodial sentence is warranted.”
In aggravation, prosecutor, Ms Concilia Ncube said Gumbomunda had meticulously planned the scams.
“The offender carefully planned how to commit the crimes, wrapping stones and leaves to swindle unsuspecting members of the public of their hard-earned cash. Some of the parcels used to deceive the complainants did not even belong to the accused,” she said.
Ms Ncube said Gumbomunda benefited from the crimes as none of the stolen money was recovered.
The court heard that between April 6 and April 13, Gumbomunda and his accomplices used the same modus operandi, convincing victims to exchange cash for sealed parcels under the false promise that their money would be returned at another location.
In the first incident, Gumbomunda and an accomplice identified only as Khemai defrauded Jabulani Sadomba of US$330 after pretending to place an order for 100 000 bricks.
“Sadomba was handed a parcel and told his cash would be returned in Filabusi. The money was never returned,” said Ms Ncube.
Using the same trick, Gumbomunda and Khemai targeted self-employed painter Raymond Tsikwa of Emakhandeni suburb, who handed over US$100 in exchange for a wrapped package.
“Tsikwa became suspicious, opened the package and found only a stone and tree leaves,” the prosecutor said.
The fraudster also duped Innocent Lunga into surrendering US$300 for what he believed was a valuable power cable. When he opened the package, he found rocks and leaves instead.
In the final incident, Gumbomunda teamed up with another accomplice known only as Khumalo to con Lovemore Mantange, an aluminium fabricator, out of US$200 after promising to return the money upon reaching Fort Rixon. Mantange was also left with a parcel containing leaves and twigs.
The court heard that acting on a tip-off, detectives from the Criminal Investigations Department’s Commercial Crimes Division arrested Gumbomunda on April 13.
Police are still searching for his accomplices, Khemai and Khumalo.
