Online Reporter
Prosper Dembedza
Herald Correspondent
HARARE regional magistrate Mr Stanford Mambanje has convicted businessman, Washington Ferera on perjury charges with the intention to deceive, the High Court of Zimbabwe, after he submitted fake agreement of sale documents in a botched immovable property deal.
Fereira is currently serving at Chikurubi Maximum Prison after he was found guilty of fraud in another matter.
Ferera (41) pleaded not guilty during trial, however magistrate Mambanje ruled that the defence of the convicted failed to convince the court since there are loopholes in the time frame on the alleged commission of the crime.
Magistrate Mambanje further ruled that the State witness Norman Mugiya testified before the court with solid evidence proving that Ferera and his wife, who is still on the run, instructed Mugiya to process the title deeds, which were back-dated on order for them to acquire land.
Harare lawyer Mrs Tendai Rusinahama stood in as watching brief for the complainant.
Prosecutor Mrs Cecilia Mashingaidze said sometime between January 2018 and March 2018, Ferera and Scholastic Muringai, with the intention to deceive, the High Court signed a back-dated fake agreement of sale for an immovable property, Lot 358 of Prospect measuring 25,1499 hectares to Schomet Industrial Holdings Private Limited, with Ferera purporting to represent the seller and Muringai representing the purported buyer.
The State proved that, through this misrepresentation, the High Court and other relevant authorities transferred title deeds from Shomet Industrial Holdings to Maride Investments Trust through a court order without the use of the original title deeds.
It was established that Muringai attached a back-dated fake agreement of sale to her founding affidavit in the matter under HC2670/2018, which she filed with the High Court of Zimbabwe.
Shomet Industrial Holdings suffered a potential prejudice of US$4 200 000 due to the misrepresentation to the High Court.
