The trial of popular comedienne Felistus Murata, also known as Mai TT, who allegedly borrowed US$10 000 first using a hired car as collateral, then a stolen car, and then an invalid passport continued this week.
Murata, whose trial is now at defence stage, denied fraud
charges arguing that she never gave the complainant, Ms Rachel Mhuka, a
Mercedes Benz vehicle as surety for the loan which she undertook to repay by
November 30 last year.
Murata claimed she told Mhuka that the Benz she had given
her as collateral was not hers and then took an affidavit that she signed.
As for the Audi Q5 vehicle, Murata said she gave Mhuka the
car for safekeeping and not as replacement of collateral.
“She wanted half of her money before I travelled to the UK.
I was now using the Q5 at the time. I had an errand to run in Chinhoyi and
because people kept coming to my house to take things, I asked her (Mhuka) to
keep the car.
“I told her I was in danger and asked her to keep the car
for me. I told my PA to give her my passport since I was in Chinhoyi at the
time,” said Murata.
Murata also denied ever giving Mhuka a fake passport but
said the passport had a cancelled United States visa.
“Rachel called me
saying l had given her a fake passport because there was a cancelled visa but
my passport was not cancelled. The visa was cancelled when the US government
discovered that I was working in the country without a work permit.”
Allegations are that the Mercedes Benz Murata gave as surety
to Mhuka was hired. Murata later claimed back the Mercedes Benz saying it did
not belong to her and handed over another vehicle, an Audi Q5.
This car she again retrieved and replaced with an invalid
passport as surety
When Mhuka realised that the passport was invalid, she
confronted Murata who immediately returned the second vehicle.
In January this year, police from Rhodesville approached
Mhuka and seized the car saying it had been stolen from Else Event Car Hire.
This was after the company reported Murata for theft of
trust property.
The trial will continue on May 31. Herald
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