One of the daughters of the late national hero, Air Chief Marshal Perence Shiri (retd), has been acquitted of fraud and forging a birth certificate in order to be included among the beneficiaries of the decorated military commander’s estate, the acquittal coming after the state failed to prove its case against her.
Stephanie Rufaro Shiri (36 years old) had brought her “half-sister” Stefan Tanaka Musvamhere (30 years old) before the court on the two charges.
In her ruling at the conclusion of the State’s case, Chief Justice Ms. Faith Moshur last Friday acquitted Musvamhiri of the two charges due to lack of sufficient evidence by the State and its witnesses.
“The state failed to provide evidence that the accused entered her name through fraudulent means to the executor. The state failed to summon the executor to testify in this regard.”
The Chief Justice said police had worked on assumptions about what Stephanie Cherry had told them and had not carried out comprehensive investigations into the matter.
Regarding the alleged forgery of the birth certificate, the State failed to prove its case and the Chief Justice ruled that Ms Musvamhere could not be blamed for the different addresses put on her birth certificate because her maternal grandmother had done so when she was a teenager. He’s still young.
Regarding the allegations of fake DNA results, the state failed to call a witness from Global DNA to prove that they were fake. Available results prove that Ms Musvamhere is the daughter of Air Force Commander Marshall Shiri.
The State’s case which was dismissed by the Chief Justice was brought by Ms Ruvimbo Matiatia who alleged that during the years 2020 and 2021, Ms Musvamhere fraudulently obtained DNA test results, and presented them to the executor of the estate along with a birth certificate in the name Tanaka Stefan Musvamhere.
Mrs. Rufaro Cherry subsequently filed a police report regarding the potential damage of $124,663 to the beneficiaries of the estate.
In the second count, the State alleged that on 17 March 2010 Ms Musvamhere went to the Chirumhanzo District Birth and Death Registration Offices to replace her lost birth certificate and gave the address of 13 Lockart Grove, Paradise Park, Marondera, instead of the village. Hunziri, Chief Dendera, Karowe, as mentioned in the system of records maintained by the Registrar of Births and Deaths.
Once again Ms. Rufaro Cherry filed a police report.
Ms Musvamhere, through her lawyer Mr Archil Muggia, denied both allegations saying Ms Rufaro Shiri was only trying her best to disenfranchise the other biological children of the late Cde Shiri as she had also caused the arrest of one of her siblings, Tawanda Zulu. Announce
