MAN GOES ON THE RUN AFTER STEALING $1M FROM CIVIL SERVANTS

A MAN from Bulawayo’s Pelandaba suburb is on the run after defrauding scores of civil servants of more than $1 million in undelivered household and electrical goods.

Munyaradzi Mundingi (38) was allegedly targeting civil servants via WhatsApp groups claiming he owned a company that supplied goods on credit.

Bulawayo police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Nomalanga Msebele said it later turned out that the company did not exist.

“The accused person is the owner of a bogus company named Pro-Plus Africa Investments which is currently operating as a credit facility company offering credit facilities to unsuspecting people in and around Zimbabwe. On numerous occasions the accused person would approach his victims through the country where he would offer them credit facilities to purchase electrical gadgets and household implements like solar panels, inverters and batteries among other things,” said Asst Insp Msebele.

“The accused would also fish his victims via a WhatsApp platform called News Report 789 where he would post advertisements of the so-called products he purported to be offering on credit and the terms and conditions there off applying for one to qualify to benefit from the credit facility.”

She said  Mundingi would process documentation and ensure that the civil servants salaries were deducted to his account by the   Salary Service Bureau (SSB).

Asst Insp Msebele said the victims only discovered that they had been duped when their products were not being delivered.

“Deductions will be effected on the victim’s salaries through SSB into the accused person’s account. Thereafter, the victims would wait for their goods which would be according to the terms and conditions supposed to be delivered soon after the first instalment having been deducted but the accused would never deliver the goods,” said Insp Msebele.

“As a result of this cunning and fraudulent act the accused has swindled more than 100 victims of their hard-earned money cash worth millions of Zimbabwean dollars. On discovering that they had been duped by this accused person many victims have since filed reports with the police. Investigations have been carried out by the police only to discover that this company called Pro-Plus is non-existent in the companies registry records however, it is operating as a shadow company of Red Sphere which is duly registered.”

She said Mundingi can longer be located and police are seeking information from the public that will result in his arrest.

Asst Insp Msebele said those with information that may lead to his arrest can report to their nearest police station or police Commercial Crimes Division Southern Region on landline 0292-278615. Chronicle

Posted in: NEWS