Estate agent in $25k swindle

A 55-YEAR-OLD estate agent from Bulawayo has appeared in court for allegedly defrauding a business partner and her neighbour of $25 000.

Ms Sukoluhle Moyo, who is employed at Roseburn Investments, allegedly swindled Ms Nonhlanhla Gugu Mlauzi of $16 000 after she lured her into investing in the business of buying and selling gold as well as extracting the mineral from a mining claim in Silobela.

A court heard that Moyo also allegedly defrauded her neighbour Mr Kennedy Nyakudziwanza of $9 000 after he tasked her with selling a portion of a plot on his behalf.

Moyo is facing two counts of fraud. She pleaded not guilty before Bulawayo magistrate Ms Sthembiso Ncube.

Ms Sthembiso Ncube granted her $500 bail and remanded the matter to January 9.

For the State, Mr Mclean Ndlovu alleged that Ms Mlauzi visited Moyo at her work place in July 2015 since she had previously assisted her in securing two residential stands.

Mr Ndlovu said Moyo proposed a business plan to Ms Mlauzi and told her that she was looking for someone to join her in a gold mining venture.

“Moyo persuaded her to secure a loan from Barclays bank where she was a depositor. Ms Mlauzi fell prey and secured a loan of $20 000.The two verbally agreed that Ms Mlauzi would get $2 000 a month out of the project. $1 000 was to go towards loan repayment,” Mr Ndlovu said.

“On November 6, 2015, Ms Mlauzi transferred $10 000 into Moyo’s MBCA bank account. On the same date she paid $2 500. On November 12, she withdrew $2 500 and gave it to Moyo. On December 17 she withdrew another $1 000 and handed it to Moyo.”

Mr Ndlovu said Moyo received the money and disappeared. In September last year after she reported the matter to the police, Ms Mlauzi received $2 000 from Moyo’s husband and they went to his lawyers where he requested her to drop the charges.

Mr Ndlovu said a settlement agreement was signed by Moyo which showed that Ms Mlauzi would be paid an extra $10 000.

“Ms Mlauzi signed the agreement, but after the settlement Moyo’s husband only paid $1 000,” he said.

Mr Nyakudziwanza approached Moyo and asked her to sell a portion of his plot on his behalf for $13 000, the court heard.

Moyo found a buyer, Mr David Shoko, who made payments to Moyo.

Mr Ndlovu said Mr Shoko paid $13 000 but Moyo indicated that he had only paid $4 000. She handed $3 000 to Mr Nyakudziwanza and claimed that $1 000 had been paid to Mathe, a land surveyor.

“Mr Shoko went to meet Mr Nyakudziwanza and informed him that he was now in need of the title deeds since he had paid in full. Mr Nyakudziwanza inquired about the payments and discovered that Moyo converted the money to her own use,” Mr Ndlovu said. — @MondelaC