UZ student in court for fraud

A UNIVERSITY of Zimbabwe (UZ) student was on Friday arraigned before Harare magistrate Judith Taruvinga charged with fraud after he allegedly duped other students who intended to switch their programmes at the institution.

Kundai Teswa (24) was remanded on $5 000 bail to August 23.

The State alleged that on December 9 last year at the South African embassy in Harare, Teswa connived with his suspected accomplice Peace Chipere, who appeared in court on Saturday, and masqueraded as Ephraim Anesu Gandanzara.

The duo allegedly misrepresented through a WhatsApp group that they were UZ employees who could facilitate change of programmes for students.

Acting on the misrepresentation, the unsuspecting complainant engaged Teswa and Chipere, and he was made to send US$100 through the Mukuru money transfer facility to Gandanzara.

The complainant later made his own investigations with officials from the UZ, and he discovered that he had been duped.

UZ officials then made investigations with the assistance of Mukuru officials.

They discovered that the accused person and his accomplice withdrew money at a Mukuru branch at Groombrige Spar in Mount Pleasant, Harare, on July 23, 2021.

On July 28, 2021, the accused was arrested at the same Mukuru branch while attempting to withdraw US$$100 sent by another victim identified as Daniel Nembaware. Upon arrest, Teswa was allegedly found in possession of a national identity card in the name of Gandanzara, and a cellphone with an Econet line containing the messages which confirmed various amounts sent to the account by different victims through the Mukuru facility.