News / Local
Suspected female fraudster arrested
18 Oct 2013 at 06:20hrs | Views
BULAWAYO - A suspected female fraudster who allegedly conned different people including relatives of thousands of dollars has been nabbed.
Emilia Sibanda, 46, of Khumalo South suburb in Bulawayo this week appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Gladmore Mushove facing three separate counts of fraud.
Sibanda was not asked to plead and was remanded out of custody on $200 bail on each count.
Prosecutor Tafadzwa Mutsambiwa told the court that in February 2010 Sibanda travelled to Masvingo where he took John Tafara's father, who happens to be her uncle, under the pretext that she was taking him for medical attention in Bulawayo since he was not feeling well.
The accused had clandestinely obtained title deeds of a farming plot in Masvingo's Morningside area from Tafara.
The plot is in the name of a deceased relative Collins Darikai Mpofu.
The court heard that Sibanda went on to use the title deeds as surety to apply for a bank loan from Agribank.
Tafara's father was unwittingly used as a guarantor on the loan deal that enabled her to obtain $22 000 from the bank.
She however, allegedly failed to service the loan resulting in the bank writing a letter to Tafara's father indicating its intention to auction the plot to recover loan repayment arrears.
After some time, the bank reportedly placed an advert in the newspaper with the intention to sell the plot.
On realising the possibility of being prejudiced of plot ownership, the complainant Tafara filed a police report leading to an investigation.
In another charge in July 2012 Sibanda received information that Mike Kutonho of Maseru village Chief Nemangwe in Gokwe was looking for a vehicle to buy.
She allegedly approached Kutonho and duped him that she was selling a Mazda Bongo pick-up truck for $4 000.
The court heard that although Sibanda did not bring the vehicle, Kutonho got interested and paid $2 000 and two oxen as a deposit.
Sibanda wrote an acknowledgement of payment on a plain paper which she issued as a receipt to the complainant.
After allegedly prejudicing the complainant of $3 154, she could not be traced.
On the last charge, in November 2012, Sibanda misrepresented to Abeauty Chinorira, whose young brother is married to her daughter, that she was selling a Toyota Hiace.
Sibanda is alleged to have stated that Chinorira had no money to pay for the vehicle's import duty at the border which required $4 000 duty while the balance of $3 500 was to be settled later.
When she received the money, she allegedly disappeared but was arrested after police investigations.
Emilia Sibanda, 46, of Khumalo South suburb in Bulawayo this week appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Gladmore Mushove facing three separate counts of fraud.
Sibanda was not asked to plead and was remanded out of custody on $200 bail on each count.
Prosecutor Tafadzwa Mutsambiwa told the court that in February 2010 Sibanda travelled to Masvingo where he took John Tafara's father, who happens to be her uncle, under the pretext that she was taking him for medical attention in Bulawayo since he was not feeling well.
The accused had clandestinely obtained title deeds of a farming plot in Masvingo's Morningside area from Tafara.
The plot is in the name of a deceased relative Collins Darikai Mpofu.
The court heard that Sibanda went on to use the title deeds as surety to apply for a bank loan from Agribank.
Tafara's father was unwittingly used as a guarantor on the loan deal that enabled her to obtain $22 000 from the bank.
She however, allegedly failed to service the loan resulting in the bank writing a letter to Tafara's father indicating its intention to auction the plot to recover loan repayment arrears.
After some time, the bank reportedly placed an advert in the newspaper with the intention to sell the plot.
On realising the possibility of being prejudiced of plot ownership, the complainant Tafara filed a police report leading to an investigation.
In another charge in July 2012 Sibanda received information that Mike Kutonho of Maseru village Chief Nemangwe in Gokwe was looking for a vehicle to buy.
She allegedly approached Kutonho and duped him that she was selling a Mazda Bongo pick-up truck for $4 000.
The court heard that although Sibanda did not bring the vehicle, Kutonho got interested and paid $2 000 and two oxen as a deposit.
Sibanda wrote an acknowledgement of payment on a plain paper which she issued as a receipt to the complainant.
After allegedly prejudicing the complainant of $3 154, she could not be traced.
On the last charge, in November 2012, Sibanda misrepresented to Abeauty Chinorira, whose young brother is married to her daughter, that she was selling a Toyota Hiace.
Sibanda is alleged to have stated that Chinorira had no money to pay for the vehicle's import duty at the border which required $4 000 duty while the balance of $3 500 was to be settled later.
When she received the money, she allegedly disappeared but was arrested after police investigations.
Source - Daily News
