A Bulawayo businessman who had been on the run for the past five years after he allegedly defrauded 19 individuals of over US$50 000 in a botched housing stands deal, appeared in court yesterday.
Elliot Mharadze (42) of Malindela suburb in Bulawayo and
also the director of Exceed Construction, appeared before Bulawayo magistrate,
Mr Joseph Mabeza, facing 10 counts of fraud.
He was remanded in custody to today for a bail hearing.
Prosecuting, Ms Siphiwe Mhlanga said on September 4, 2018,
one of the complainants, Mr Butholezwe Dube went to Mharadze’s company offices
located at the intersection of Hebert Chitepo Street and Leopold Takawira
Avenue in the city centre, where he intended to buy a residential property.
“Mharadze then offered to build the complainant a
two-roomed house in Pumula South for US$17 000. The accused and the complainant
then entered into an agreement and Mr Dube then paid a deposit of US$13 000,”
said Ms Mhlanga.
The court heard that Mr Dube later visited Bulawayo City
Council (BCC) offices intending to inquire about the stand and he discovered
that it had been sold and registered under someone’s name.
On December 24, 2018, Mharadze duped Ms Joyce Moyo using
the same modus operandi and sold a non-existent stand for R215 000.
On 22 March 22, 2018, Mharadze defrauded Ms Claudious
Manamela of US$5 000 for a house purported to be in Nkulumane suburb.
The court heard that on July 18, 2018, Mr Bongani Nyathi
was defrauded of US$19 000 for a house that was purported to be in Pelandaba.
On March 22, 2019, Ms Sizi Ndlovu was duped of R270 000 by
Mharadze following a botched house deal. Mharadze had claimed that he was
selling in Pelandaba suburb.
The court heard that on August 24, 2019, Mharadze defrauded
Ms Tackler Gumbo of R190 000 after claiming that he was selling a house in
Pelandaba.
“On November 21, 2019, Mharadze duped Mr Tafara Dube R205
000 after purportedly selling a house in Pelandaba suburb. Mharadze went on to
dupe another complainant, Ms Tafara Dube of $3 800 after claiming there was a
house for sale in Cowdray Park suburb,” said Ms Mhlanga.
On December 23 during the same year, Mharadze defrauded Ms
Tsitsi Machiri of R103 000 and US$3 400 for a house that he claimed was selling
in Pelandaba.
During the same month, Mharadze allegedly conned one
Muziukhona US$3 725, on the pretext that he was selling a house in Pumula
South.
The total amount that Mharadze pocketed through prejudicing
the complainants is US$47 925 and R 953 000.
Mharadze was represented by Mr Goodluck Katanaire of
Mutuso, Taruvinga and Mhiribidi Attorneys.
Meanwhile, a 33-year-old Harare-based woman, Patricia
Mutanowa appeared before the same magistrate for theft of trust funds.
She was remanded out of custody to April 8 on US$50 bail.
It was stated in court papers that Mutanowa hatched a plan
to defraud unsuspecting complainants of money after misrepresenting herself as
an administrator for a non-government organisation known as Esteemed Business
Women Zimbabwe.
She is alleged to have defrauded an unspecified number of
individuals of US$1 862 between January and mid-March this year.
Mutanowa would receive money through her Inn Bucks account,
purporting to be organising birthday events for the clients. Chronicle
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