A syndicate of six suspected fraudsters, including the alleged ringleader in the forgery of the title deed to the home of former Cabinet Minister Dr Dzingai Mutombuka, appeared in the Harare Magistrates Court today for allegedly altering documents for a $400,000 Borrowdale house and selling it for just $400,000. . 92,000 US dollars.
Prosper Bizorc (48) who is also the alleged mastermind in the current case and five of his accomplices are charged with fraud as defined in Section 136 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Cap 9; 23.
The suspects were arrested by Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) investigators in just two weeks after the ZRP failed to make any progress in four months.
It is understood that some ZRP officers are now under investigation for receiving US$7,000 to sweep the issue under the rug. Sources claim that the officers demanded US$20,000 to destroy the case.
The state refuses to release the six on bail, arguing that they are likely to flee given the serious charges they face. Detective officer Eric Chacha told the court that investigations linked the syndicate members to 10 other properties that were sold fraudulently.
He said that the union has ties to a number of government departments, where it was able to obtain fake identity cards and obtain a replacement instrument.
Bizwork was supposed to appear in another courtroom today in a case in which he forged the title deeds of Dr Mutombuka’s Chisipite house worth US$600,000 and sold it for just US$45,000.
The case had to be postponed.
According to the state plan, transfer of ownership; No. 589 Rietfontein Town on Lot 15 in Harare completed at TK Hove and Partners. Law firm transport clerk Samson Moshae is one of the six arrested and appeared for bail today.
Mashai was also accused of issuing a duplicate title deed to sell the house. The state also says it was Mashai who facilitated the interviews in Zimra and transferred the property in the buyers’ name.
The other accused are Eric Dube (39), Tedius Marufo (47), Amos Chivu (43) and Patience Nhobe (46). The other suspect identified as Cullen is at large.
The state says sometime in 2023, the six colluded to defraud unsuspecting buyers out of homes.
Bizwork hired Patience Nhope and another person known only as Collen to act as vendors for 589 Rietfontein which is in fact owned by Octavious Chikonyora and Precious Danda. He managed to obtain fake identity cards for the sellers of the two houses in the names of Chikunura and Danda.
Nahub and Colin showed up for interviews in Zimra pretending to be Chikonyora and Danda.
Bizwork then brought Marufu in to look for agents to sell the house. Marufu brought in Chisvo and Ndamuka as agents.
Mashai was brought in for transfer and allegations suggest meetings were held at his offices in TK Hove.
Dube advertised the house using the fake name Raphael Dube under a marketing company called Rockwell Land Developers.
Max Merrit Msutu and Tariro Chingaya responded to the ad with their desire to buy the house. The two insisted that they wanted to use their own transport company but were told that for the purpose of moving and transporting, this would take place strictly at TK Hove and Partners.
The State’s case is that TK Hove did not have the original title to the property and therefore Mashai created a duplicate title.
After the deal was completed, the union that agreed to share the money equally did not do so as each received about US$10,000, as the others were cheated and received less than US$5,000.
The homeowner, who was away, only found out about the deal after a neighbor called him to see if he had sold the house because he saw new people sprucing up the place.
The bail ruling will be on Monday. Masvingo mirror