Man defrauded of $ 5m

TWO men from Harare have been arrested on charges of defrauding an architect of $5 million.

Nixon Murwira (37) and Ndauya Paradza appeared before Harare Magistrate Mr Dennis Mangosi and were remanded out of custody on $200 000 bail each to March 23.

They allegedly defrauded Fadza Mangoma, an architect in private practice.

The court heard that last Sunday, Murwira and Paradza acting in connivance with a person known as Valentine, sent a message to Mr Mangoma through WhatsApp from the account of his nephew Tatenda Semu.

The message asked him to help with a local currency payment equivalent to US$10 000 at a rate of $950 to the US dollar.

Mr Mangoma did not ask for many details since he assumed that the message had come from Tatenda Semu and responded via WhatsApp message that he had $1,8 million.

Murwira and Paradza then sent Bank ABC and NMB bank accounts and asked Mr Mangoma to transfer $500 000 into NMB account number 0000280091677 in the name of M. Hotera. He did that and sent proof of payment.

They then asked for another $1,5 million to be sent to Bank ABC account number 21933975102203 in the name of Eunice Moyo and he made the transfer and sent proof of payment.

The two then asked for more money and Mr Mangoma engaged his wife Linda Gumbo who also had to engage her workmates Dr Manyuchi and Dr Chikadaya since she did not have sufficient funds.

Murwira and Paradza supplied Ms Gumbo with ZB Bank account number 4151083654200 in the name of Dennis Tendai Bango and she had Dr Manyuchi transfer $1 million.

Ms Gumbo also caused the transfer of another $ 1 million from Dr Chikadaya into CABS bank account number 1129141446 in the name of Alolus Makava.

She then had Dr Chikadaya transfer another $ 582 000 into CABS bank account 1003696074 in the name of Lovemore Kambeu and made a transfer herself of $418 000 from her CABS bank account into the same account.

On Monday, Mr Mangoma discovered that he was duped by the accused after learning that his nephew Tinotenda Semu’s cellphone had been stolen.

That was reported to the police, leading to the arrest of the Muwira and Paradza and subsequent recovery of US$300 from Murwira.

Police also recovered US$ 961 from Alexio Makava who had received part of the stolen funds.

As a result of fraud, Mr Mangoma suffered an actual prejudice of $5 million and US$1 261 was recovered.