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Spirit Embassy Ministries founder “Prophet” Uebert Angel Mudzanire, convinced a Harare businessman to surrender his Bentley as a way of sowing a seed into his life, but the “Man of God” immediately sold the vehicle just after receiving it despite having promised him to take it back if he failed to reap the promised harvest within the stipulated period, a court heard yesterday.
Ndabazinengi Shava, the director of Faith Age Holdings Zimbabwe, told the court that “Prophet” Angel after selling his vehicle to one Phebion, relocated to the United Kingdom and blocked all communication with him.
This was revealed during the trial of Anderson Tagara who is accused of aiding Prophet Angel in defrauding Shava of his vehicle worth $300, 000.
However, Tagara denied the charges when his trial opened yesterday before regional magistrate Noel Mupeiwa.
Shava said he believed the man of cloth when he told him that he would reap threefold what he sowed.
“Just after relocating to the UK, ‘Prophet’ Angel actually called and ordered me to give his brother (Limit) the registration book and I gave it to him without any suspicion, not knowing that my car had already been sold even though the agreed eight months period hadn’t lapsed,” he said.
He added, “Upon noticing that the eight months period had lapsed and nothing had materialised, I then called him so that he gives me back my vehicle, but he became evasive and the next thing he had blocked my calls and I couldn’t get through to his mobile phone. He was now playing hide and seek and that’s when I noticed I’d been defrauded.”
Giving his evidence-in-chief while being led by law officer Editor Mavuto, Shava further said he later learnt that his car had been sold and he approached one Phebion who confirmed that he had bought the car from “Prophet” Angel.
“I went to Phebion’s office and he showed me some affidavits and an agreement of sale which he said was signed by ‘Prophet’ Angel. There was another affidavit, which was signed by Tagara purporting he was the one who had sold the vehicle to ‘Prophet’ Angel.
“I then realised that ‘Prophet’ Angel and Tagara had connived in duping me since the registration documents were in Tagara’s name as I hadn’t changed ownership of the vehicle,” he said.
In his defence through his lawyer Itayi Ndudzo, Tagara denied the charges arguing that he was the owner of the car in question.
Part of the defence outline reads; “In February 2012 accused person (Tagara) purchased his own Bentley using his sole and exclusive funds. It was only subsequent to the importation and registration of the vehicle in May that accused was approached by his then friend, Shava with an offer for the purchase of the vehicle. After negotiations the accused sold the vehicle to Shava and delivered it to him.”
Tagara told the court that in 2013 Shava approached him with an agreement of sale bearing his (Tagara) name as the seller and Benjamin Mudzanire as purchaser. “Shava advised me that the vehicle had been sold to Mudzanire and since registration was in my name, the agreement of sale was required to divest me of ownership rights, I then signed it.
“Allegations by Shava against me are entirely false and actuated by dishonesty, greedy and malice…..he gambled his property without my involvement,” he said.
The trial continues on Friday.
Online Reporter