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Tendai Rupapa Senior Court Reporter
A Harare man who swindled a local bank of more than US$7 000 has been sentenced to five years in prison. Charles Kapenzi of Old Highfield Flats used a fake national identity card purporting to be Lawrence Musa Gwanzura and withdrew cash from his Afrasia Kingdom Bank’s account.
The magistrate Mr Elijah Makomo convicted Kapenzi of fraud involving US$7 500 after a fully contested trial and sentenced him to five years in prison.
He then suspended two years on condition Kapenzi restitutes the bank on or before April 1 next year.
The bank was represented by its security and risk officer Mr Blessmore Nyamuzuwe.
The prosecutor Mrs Molyn Mutamangira-Mavhondo told the court that on February 15 last year, Kapenzi hatched a plan to defraud the bank.
He acquired a metal identity document bearing the names of Gwanzura and proceeded to Afrasia Kingdom Bank’s branch at High Glen Shopping Centre.
He filled in a withdrawal slip intending to withdraw US$3 500 purporting to be the account holder.
He gave the slip together with the identity document to an unsuspecting bank teller, Linda Kwendesa who then processed the transaction.
Upon receiving the money, Kapenzi walked away undetected.
After three days, Kapenzi used the same method and withdrew a further US$4 000 from the same account.
The offence came to light on March 2 when the account holder went to the bank’s Westgate branch to collect a bank statement and discovered that some money had been withdrawn from his account.
He then alerted the bank authorities who then used recordings from the closed circuit television for the days in question and discovered how the offence had been committed before making a police report.
Online Reporter