DAD FAKES SON'S DEATH IN $12K INSURANCE SCAM

A GOKWE man has been slapped with an 18 month jail sentence for faking his son’s death and attempting to defraud Ecosure Funeral Cover of $12 000 in accident insurance cover.

Nicholas Madziva (47) of Magama Village under Chief Nemangwe in Gokwe South was convicted on his own plea of guilty to one count of fraud by Gokwe resident magistrate Mr Christopher Maturure.

He was sentenced to 18 months in prison but six months were suspended for five years on condition he is not within the period convicted of a similar offence.

The remaining 12 months were further suspended on condition Madziva performs 420 hours of community service at Sunganai Secondary School in Gokwe South.

For the State, Mr Tineyi Tirigo told the court that on April 4 Madziva, who is a policy holder on Ecosure funeral cover, hatched a plan to defraud the company and claimed funeral assistance alleging that his son had died in a road traffic accident.

Mr Tirigo said Madziva claimed normal cover assured of $ 2 000 and an extra $10 000 of accidental cover.

The court heard that as a matter of procedure, Ecosure commenced the verification process after Madziva submitted his claim forms.

Mr Tirigo said it was discovered that Madziva’s son whom he had claimed to have died in an accident was alive. The matter was then reported to the police leading to Madziva’s arrest.
The claim made by Madziva was potentially prejudicial to the complainant to the sum of $12 000.

In a related incident, a 31 –year- old man from Gokwe has been sentenced to eight months in prison after he was convicted of attempting to defraud Ecosure Funeral Cover of $1000 after faking his mother’s death.

Knowledge Mponderi of Mponderi Village under Chief Chireya in Gokwe North was also convicted by Mr Maturure and was sentenced to eight months of which three months were 
suspended on condition of good behaviour.

Another five months were suspended on condition Mponderi performs 175 hours of community service at Gwebo Primary School in his area.

Mr Tirigo told the court that on September 17 Mponderi, who is a policy holder on Ecosure Funeral Cover, hatched a plan to defraud the company and claimed funeral assistance alleging that his mother had died.

Mponderi claimed funeral assistance of $1 000. When Ecosure conducted their own investigations, they discovered that Mponderi’s mother was alive.

The matter was reported to the police leading to Mponderi’s arrest. Chronicle

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