A PROMINENT Bulawayo lawyer allegedly ganged up with an
alleged bogus estate agent and defrauded four home seekers of more than R200
000 in botched residential stand deals.
Vuyile Jamela Mpofu (52), who is a senior partner at VJ
Mpofu and Associates and resides in Queens Park suburb in the city, allegedly
teamed up with Mayor Kazingizi (35) of Cowdray Park and swindled four home
seekers of their money after misrepresenting to them that they were selling
residential stands in Pumula South and Emganwini suburbs.
They allegedly forged lease agreements of sale and
identification documents relating to the purported owner of the property and
sold the stands they did not own to the four unsuspecting complainants. The complainants paid down payments and the balance, it was
agreed, would be paid in due course.
Mpofu and Kazingizi appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Mr
Jeconiah Ncube facing fraud charges. They were remanded out of custody to
October 30 for provision of a trial date on $3 000 bail each.
As part of the bail conditions, the two accused persons
were ordered to surrender their passports and to report once a week at Bulawayo
Central Police Station. They were also ordered to reside at their given
addresses and not interfere with witnesses until the matter is finalised.
Prosecuting, Mr Leonard Chile said between July and
September this year, the two accused persons acting in connivance
misrepresented to Ms Rumbidzai Chimbunde, Ms Lina Takura, Ms Angela Chikanya
and Mr Douglas Tizirai that they owned the stands and received varying amounts
from the complainants.
“Sometime during the month of July, the accused persons
acting in connivance misrepresented to Lina Takura that Judith Moyo was selling
a residential stand in Pumula South when they knew that the property was not
for sale,” said Mr Chile.
He said in furtherance of their enterprise, the two accused
persons arranged for Ms Takura to meet an impostor to whom she paid a deposit
of R60 000 towards the purchase of the stand.
“During the month of August, the accused persons connived
and misrepresented to Angela Chikanya that Nomsa Sibanda was selling a
residential stand in Emganwini knowing fully well that the property was not for
sale. They looked for an impostor who collected R40 000 deposit from the
complainant,” said Mr Chile.
Sometime in September, Mpofu and Kazingizi defrauded Ms
Chimbunde of R56 100 after lying to her that Khulumani Mpofu was selling a
residential stand in Pumula South. During the same month, the two men using the
same modus operandi, swindled Mr Tizirai of R60 000 after promising him a stand
in Emganwini. The matter was reported to the police leading to the accused
persons’ arrest.
The total value of property prejudice is R220 700, US$3 700
and $752,19 and nothing was recovered. Chronicle
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