Mutumbuka house scam in new twist
A KEY State witness in the trial of two Chitungwiza men arrested for forgery has been declared hostile as the saga in which former Education minister Dzingai Mutumbuka lost his house takes a twist.
Harare magistrate Ethel Chichera remanded Tatenda Shaft Wakatama (46) and Prosper Biziweck (45) to February 27 for trial continuation.
Chichera also declared Deeds Office supervisor Lynna Mlambo as a hostile witness after she changed her statement in the court.
Mlambo accused police of threatening her to make the statement saying she made it while suffering from depression.
She also testified that the statement was made under duress, denying knowing or meeting Biziweck.
This prompted prosecutor Zebediah Bofu to make an application for the court to declare Mlambo a hostile witness.
The State intends to lead their next witness Absolom Mangwere from the Deeds Registry office at the next trial date.
It is in the State’s case that in June 2021, the Wakatama and Biziwerk, together with their accomplice Jonah Ngome, stole from Mutumbuka when they forged a title deed for the complainant’s house.
The duo allegedly pulled the original title deed in the name of Dzingai Mutumbuka, title deed number 4480/88, for house number 90 Harare Drive in Chisipite, Harare and allegedly created a counterfeit in Ngome’s name.
The duo allegedly advertised the house as for sale on various social media platforms using the forged counterfeit title deed.
Harrison Marange then came across the advert and proposed to buy the property, with Kenias Mutyisira facilitating an agreement of sale.
The two parties settled for a purchase price of US$140 000 for the property and a payment was broken down to US$90 000 deposit, while the balance of US$50 000 was to be paid on registration and transfer of the property.
Marange allegedly paid Ngome US$45 000 in September 2021 as deposit, while the other US$45 000 was to be paid in October of the same year.
The transaction was, however, intercepted by the police after Mangwere from the Registrar Office confirmed that the title deed in Ngome’s name was fake.