News / Local
Fraudster prays for magistrate after a 3 year jail sentence
21 Jan 2012 at 09:22hrs | Views
"MAY God bless you for the sentence you have just passed on me."
This was said by Stephen Gonye soon after he had been sentenced to three years in jail for defrauding a woman of more than $2 000 in a botched deal involving a residential stand.
Gonye (54), of Stand Number 6 Layton Village, Lonely Mine, Inyathi, had pleaded not guilty to fraud but was convicted by Bulawayo magistrate Miss Charity Maphosa.
Six months of his sentence were suspended for five years on condition that he is not within that period convicted of a similar offence.
Another 12 months were suspended on condition that he pays restitution of $2 070 by 31 December this year.
Soon after passing of sentence, Gonye asked if he could address the court and he was given the opportunity.
He then "thanked" the magistrate for the sentence.
Mr Tinashe Dzipe, for the State, proved that on a date unknown to the prosecution but in April 2007, Gonye went to the complainant's workplace at the corner of Main Street and 6th Avenue.
He told her that he had a residential stand in Mahatshula South, Bulawayo, which he was selling for Z$160 million.
At the time of the misrepresentation, Gonye was running a company called CBN Ventures (Pvt) Ltd, which had offices at Number 19 Herbert Chitepo Street in Bulawayo.
She was taken to stand Number 61 Mahatshula South and she viewed the said stand, which at the time was at slab level.
There were some bricks, river sand and quarry stones at the stand, which Gonye claimed were for construction purposes once the complainant had made full payment.
She paid Z$80 million as down payment and she made payments in instalments from 4 to 16 April 2007.
After receipting Z$80 million, Gonye started giving flimsy excuses each time the complainant approached him.
She eventually made a report to the police leading to his arrest in 2010. Gonye had opened a shop in Lonely Mine and was staying there.
This was said by Stephen Gonye soon after he had been sentenced to three years in jail for defrauding a woman of more than $2 000 in a botched deal involving a residential stand.
Gonye (54), of Stand Number 6 Layton Village, Lonely Mine, Inyathi, had pleaded not guilty to fraud but was convicted by Bulawayo magistrate Miss Charity Maphosa.
Six months of his sentence were suspended for five years on condition that he is not within that period convicted of a similar offence.
Another 12 months were suspended on condition that he pays restitution of $2 070 by 31 December this year.
Soon after passing of sentence, Gonye asked if he could address the court and he was given the opportunity.
He then "thanked" the magistrate for the sentence.
He told her that he had a residential stand in Mahatshula South, Bulawayo, which he was selling for Z$160 million.
At the time of the misrepresentation, Gonye was running a company called CBN Ventures (Pvt) Ltd, which had offices at Number 19 Herbert Chitepo Street in Bulawayo.
She was taken to stand Number 61 Mahatshula South and she viewed the said stand, which at the time was at slab level.
There were some bricks, river sand and quarry stones at the stand, which Gonye claimed were for construction purposes once the complainant had made full payment.
She paid Z$80 million as down payment and she made payments in instalments from 4 to 16 April 2007.
After receipting Z$80 million, Gonye started giving flimsy excuses each time the complainant approached him.
She eventually made a report to the police leading to his arrest in 2010. Gonye had opened a shop in Lonely Mine and was staying there.
Source - TC
