ZIMSPHERE
HARARE – Two Harare men were on Friday dragged to court on fraud charges after they allegedly defrauded one man of US$92 000 in a botched residential stand deal.
Shadreck Dzapasi from Norton and Steady Munyoro from Chitungwiza appeared before Harare provincial magistrate Apollonia Marutya.
They were released on US$250 bail each , and ordered to return to court on January 17, next year.
According to State prosecutor Rufaro Chonzi, sometime in January 2024, the complainant thought of purchasing land for residential stands and he wrote an application for the piece of land addressed to City of Harare's Department of Housing and Community Service.
When the complainant proceeded to City of Harare offices at Remembrance Drive, Harare, he met Dzapasi whom he knew for quite some time in political circles.
The complainant allegedly told Dzapasi his intentions to acquire a piece of land.
The court heard that Dzapasi misrepresented to the complainant that Munyoro was an employee of Harare City Council and was able to speed up the process.
The State further alleges that the complainant was deceived into believing that Munyoro was an influential person within City of Harare hence he decided to engage him.
The complainant was then taken to Munyoro by Dzapasi who was wearing a white dust coat inscribed 'City of Harare'. When they met, Munyoro was allegedly wearing a wearing a white dist coat inscribed 'City of Harare' too.
He misrepresented to the complainant that his name was Samuel Chakacha and was employed by City of Harare.
He reportedly indicated to the complainant that he could quickly process his application and would ensure that land will be allocated to him without delay.
The court heard that Munyoro took the complainant's application letter in the pretext that he was going to process it and he advised the complainant to make payments through him.
During the period between June 2024 and October 2024, the complainant paid a total of US$92 000.00 to both the accused persons on different occasions.
Munyoro is being accused of signing for the money on each occasion and would give the complainant fake City of Harare receipts.
Sometime during the month of November 2024, the complainant went to City of Harare to check the position of his application but he failed to locate his file.
The complainant made his own inquiries and discovered that Dzapasi was not even employed by City of Harare.
The complainant attempted to engage the accused persons but nothing materialised.
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