CON ARTISTS IN COURT
TWO women were ordered to pay $100 000 bail in a matter they are accused of defrauding a man of US$35 000 in a bogus farm and shop sale.
Nyasha Majijiwa, (31) and Hildah Tirivavi (41) were remanded out of custody to December 5, when they appeared before Harare Magistrate Dennis Mangosi yesterday.
They were ordered to report twice at Waterfalls and Dzivarasekwa Police stations respectively.
The State said sometime in September, Regina Chihwai phoned the unnamed complainant telling him that there was someone selling farms in Banket, Mazowe and Marondera.
The complainant expressed interest and was referred to Majijiwa, who misled him that she had eight farms and a shop in Unit L, Seke, which she was selling.
Majijiwa charged the complainant US$15 000 for the shop, which he fully paid between September and this month.
The complainant was also charged US$20 000 for two farms, which Majijiwa claimed she inherited from her late parents.
He paid her US$4 500 and 6x330W solar panels, a battery and an inverter.
It is alleged that agreements of sale, in respect of two farms and the shop, were made and signed between the complainant and Majijiwa.
Majijiwa later took the complainant to Beatrice and Macheke where she showed him the farms.
She promised she was going to avail the offer letters after collecting
them from Tirivavi, who works at the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development.
The court heard that sometime this month, the complainant went back to the farms to verify if they belonged to Majijiwa, and was told that he had been conned.
After making efforts to be shown the shop he had “purchased”, the complainant realised that he had been duped.
A police report was filed leading to the arrest of Mujijiwa, who then implicated Tirivavi.
Mujijiwa was also found in possession of a fake identity card, bearing the name Samantha Banabus, which was used in signing the agreements of sale.
She told the police that Tirivavi assisted her to obtain the fake ID.
Zebedia Bofu prosecuted.