adminThupeyo Muleya Beitbridge Bureau
AN illegal foreign currency dealer who has been on the run since December last year has been arrested for defrauding 17 of his colleagues of about R1 million and $105,000.
The money comes to about R2,6 million at prevailing rates of exchange.
Mvurachena Tadzembwa, 33, commonly known as Mupositori, disappeared with the money on 18 December in Beitbridge.
He had duped his friends into pooling resources after pretending he had found a buyer for their foreign currency.
Until his arrest last week, Tadzembwa has been holed up in Harare.
Tadzembwa, who resides at Lutumba area under Chief Staudze, appeared before Beitbridge resident magistrate Gloria Takundwa, who convicted him on his own plea of guilty to 11 counts of fraud and five others of theft of property.
He denied the 17th charge.
The magistrate remanded Tadzembwa in custody to February 26 for sentencing and judgement in the other case of fraud.
Prosecuting, Nomathemba Sayi told the court Tadzembwa approached 11 foreign currency dealers in the border town on December 18 and collected money from them after misrepresenting that he had found a buyer for the foreign currency.
She said he was given the money and received more from six people who called after getting news that he was collecting money to sell.
Tadzembwa received a total of R955,960 and $105,690 from his colleagues and disappeared.
Sayi said the complainants got worried when they could not locate him and he was unreachable on his mobile phones.
They reported the matter to the police who then arrested him in Beitbridge last week, said Sayi.
The money was not recovered.
Londile Moyo
Bongani Ndlovu