Monday 29 November 2021

EX GUTU COUNCIL BOSS IN ESTATE FRAUD

Former Gutu Rural District Council District Administrator, Makepeace Muzenda, has been summoned to court for fraudulently transferring her late husband’s property into her own name to evade its distribution in an estate.

Muzenda and another woman were married to Kudakwashe Mutongi who died in the early 2000s.

According to papers, Mutongi was a holder of lease rights on Stand number 414 of Gutu Rural District Council with an option to buy the commercial property.

Gutu Rural District Council chief executive officer has also been cited as a respondent in the matter.

However, following Mutongi’s death, the property was listed in the inventory field with the Master of High Court as Mutongi’s property.

Further allegations point that, sometime in 2009 Muzenda allegedly caused the transfer of the same property from the deceased’s estate into her name after conniving with officials at Gutu Rural District Council.

Now, Freddy Chimbari, who was appointed executor of the late Mutongi’s estate claims he wasn’t aware how the property was now registered as Muzenda’s own.

“The property is listed in the inventory filed with the Master of High Court as property which belongs to the late Mutongi. The inventory was duly signed by Muzenda.

“The distribution account has not been drawn and neither was the estate wound up. Further, Muzenda and Gutu Rural District Office chief executive officer have not sought the consent of the Master of High Court to transfer the property.

“The property has since been transferred into Muzenda’s name and as it stands she is registered owner of the estate property,” reads the summons.

Chimbari wants the court to declare the property to be belonging to Mutongi and be made liable for distribution amongst his children and two wives.

“The lease agreement between Muzenda and the Gutu Rural District should be cancelled for they were fraudulently obtained,” reads the papers.

In her plea, Muzenda and the Gutu Rural District Council chief deny that the property was ever leased to her late husband.

“They will further state that even assuming that the late Mutongi had a lease agreement for the property in question, which is denied, it would not mean that the property in question becomes estate property which should be administered by Chimbari.

“Further, that any such lease agreement would have been terminated by the death of the late Mutongi,” reads Muzenda’s plea.

Muzenda also claims there are no title deeds to prove that the said property belonged to her late husband.

However, the court has asked Muzenda to explain why she inserted the immovable property on the preliminary inventory as one of Mutongi’s properties. H Metro

0 comments:

Post a Comment