Duping prospective workers lands trio in soup

THREE Chimanimani men were arraigned before the courts for fraudulently misrepresenting to three people that they were Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company (ZCDC) human resource managers who could hire them as drivers before fleecing them of $295.

The three — Edwell Chimukwe (21), Didymus Tapitai (24) and Robbie Pamberi (23) — recently appeared before provincial magistrate Mr Tendai Mahwe facing three counts of fraud after they misrepresented to their victims on separate occasions that they were in a position to secure them employment at ZCDC.

It is the State’s case that on March 4 at around 6pm, Chimuke, Tapitai and Pamberi made a phone call to George Nyamukasa and told him that they were employed as human resources managers at ZCDC and wanted to hire him as a driver.

The court heard that they subsequently organised a meeting with Nyamusaka at Halsteads in Mutare, where upon request he paid them $80 via EcoCash to facilitate employment for him at the company.

The trio promised Nyamusaka that they would notify him of the date he was supposed start work. It is claimed that on the same day, the trio played the same trick on Charles Matauto, who paid them $105 to facilitate his employment as a driver.

Christopher Rangwana reportedly fell for the same trap and paid $110.

The victims later realised that the trio did not work at ZCDC and went to report to the police.

Chimuke, Tapitai and Pamberi pleaded guilty and were remanded to this Friday.

Mr Fletcher Karombe appeared for the State.