Nixon Murwira (37) and Ndauya Paradza appeared before
Harare Magistrate Mr Dennis Mangosi and were remanded out of custody on $200
000 bail each to March 23.
They allegedly defrauded Fadza Mangoma, an architect in
private practice.
The court heard that last Sunday, Murwira and Paradza
acting in connivance with a person known as Valentine, sent a message to Mr
Mangoma through WhatsApp from the account of his nephew Tatenda Semu.
The message asked him to help with a local currency payment
equivalent to US$10 000 at a rate of $950 to the US dollar.
Mr Mangoma did not ask for many details since he assumed
that the message had come from Tatenda Semu and responded via WhatsApp message
that he had $1,8 million.
Murwira and Paradza then sent Bank ABC and NMB bank
accounts and asked Mr Mangoma to transfer $500 000 into NMB account number
0000280091677 in the name of M. Hotera. He did that and sent proof of payment.
They then asked for another $1,5 million to be sent to Bank
ABC account number 21933975102203 in the name of Eunice Moyo and he made the
transfer and sent proof of payment.
The two then asked for more money and Mr Mangoma engaged
his wife Linda Gumbo who also had to engage her workmates Dr Manyuchi and Dr
Chikadaya since she did not have sufficient funds.
Murwira and Paradza supplied Ms Gumbo with ZB Bank account
number 4151083654200 in the name of Dennis Tendai Bango and she had Dr Manyuchi
transfer $1 million.
Ms Gumbo also caused the transfer of another $1 million
from Dr Chikadaya into CABS bank account number 1129141446 in the name of
Alolus Makava.
She then had Dr Chikadaya transfer another $582 000 into
CABS bank account 1003696074 in the name of Lovemore Kambeu and made a transfer
herself of $418 000 from her CABS bank account into the same account.
On Monday, Mr Mangoma discovered that he was duped by the
accused after learning that his nephew Tinotenda Semu’s cellphone had been
stolen.
That was reported to the police, leading to the arrest of
the Muwira and Paradza and subsequent recovery of US$300 from Murwira.
Police also recovered US$961 from Alexio Makava who had
received part of the stolen funds.
As a result of fraud, Mr Mangoma suffered an actual
prejudice of $5 million and US$1 261 was recovered. Herald
0 comments:
Post a Comment