adminMelody Baya Court Reporter
A BULAWAYO man allegedly swindled a woman of $21,300 after selling her three plots that he did not own. Elphas Ncube, 43, of Northville suburb, yesterday appeared before magistrate Gladmore Mushove facing a fraud charge.
He pleaded not guilty. The court heard how Ncube misrepresented to Stella Ngwenya that he was selling plots number 11, 13, and 15 in Richmond suburb.
“I was advised by Simangaliso Muringi, who acted as an estate agent, that the accused was selling a vacant piece of land and I got interested,” said Ngwenya.
“I then contacted him on his cellphone and he confirmed that he had a three-acre vacant piece of land somewhere in Richmond going for $9,000 per acre”.
Ngwenya said she was escorted by Ncube’s associates Dorcas Moyo and Simangaliso Muringi to view the land and decided to buy it.
Prosecuting, Jeremiah Mutsindikwa told the court that on March 9, 2014, at Cheda and Partners, Ncube and Ngwenya signed a memorandum of agreement for sale of the plots.
Mutsindikwa said during the same month, the complainant paid $8,000 as down payment in the presence of Moyo, Mlamuli Ncube, Catherine Mkwananzi and Elphas Ncube.
Ngwenya, he said, made six more instalments amounting to $13,300 which Ncube took and converted to his own use but failed to avail the plot of land to her.
“As a result of the misrepresentation, the complainant suffered an actual prejudice of $21,300 and nothing was recovered,” said Mutsindikwa.
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