daniel chigunwe
Senior Court Reporter
A woman masquerading as an agent at EuroAfrica Travelling Services appeared in court yesterday on allegations of duping a family of US$3 900 after allegedly lying that she could process travel documents and work permits at the Polish Embassy.
Prisca Retinice Chidavaenzi appeared at the Harare Magistrates Court charged with fraud before magistrate Mrs Judith Taruvinga, who remanded her to September 30 on $10 000 bail.
Mr Lancelot Mutsokoti for the State alleged that in April this year Chidavaenzi met Ms Chipo Sithole at Eastgate in Harare’s city centre and lied that she could process travelling documents to Poland and facilitate processing of their work permits.
It is alleged that Chidavaenzi asked Ms Sithole to pay her US$3 900 for facilitating the processing of the documents for herself, husband Mr Tendai Alington Chirenda and their child. On May 17, Ms Sithole paid US$2 000 towards the facilitation fees before she returned to Chidavaenzi after two days with another US$170, then a third payment on May 26 of US$230 and later the final US$1 500 sought. The court heard that Chidavaenzi gave Ms Sithole forms written in Polish and helped her and her husband fill them out.
She allegedly promised the couple that the required documents would be ready within two weeks and that they could then apply for visas with the work permits processed. But when the two weeks were up there were no documents as promised and Chidavaenzi started giving excuses, leading to Ms Sithole reporting the matter to the police.
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