A RUWA woman (36), who forged her daughter’s birth certificate in a bid to inherit her late landlord’s estate, was last Thursday slapped with an 18-month jail sentence by Marondera magistrate Ignatius Mhene who convicted her on fraud charges.
Abigail Muchafuruka attempted to include her daughter in
the estate of her late landlord Peter Kandawasvika, with whom she alleged she
had an affair, which resulted in them having her (daughter) together.
Muchafuruka will, however, perform 420 hours of community
service at Ruwa Police Station after the sentence was wholly suspended on the
basis that she has four minor children.
The woman told the court that she had an affair with the
late Kandawasvika and a daughter was born. But her claims were refuted after
the Registrar-General’s office revealed that the child was registered without
the name of the father.
According to court papers, on July 9 this
year, Muchafuruka filed an opposing affidavit against an application for
rescission of judgment by the late Kandawasvika’s wife in a civil case. In the
opposing affidavit the accused attached a forged copy of her daughter’s birth
certificate.
The court said by tendering the forged copy of the birth
certificate, the accused person misrepresented to it that the late Kandawasvika
was the biological father of her daughter, as indicated in the column marked
father of child.
The matter came to light after the deceased’s wife noted
that there was different printing on the father’s details in the forged copy of
the birth certificate and reported the matter to police.
Investigations were carried out by police through the Registrar-General’s
office and it was proved that the birth entry had her daughter’s name but the
column marked father of child was blank. This led to her arrest. John Hama
represented the State. Newsday
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