News / Local
Bulawayo magistrate loses US$16 000 to Harare conmen
25 Jun 2011 at 05:52hrs | Views
A Bulawayo magistrate, Tawanda Muchemwa lost US$16 000 to three-suspected conmen who lured him to take part in a botched US$3,5 million tainted money deal.
They convinced him to part with the money saying they would use it to buy a chemical to clean the US$3,5 million cash.
One of the suspects, Gumisai Mukondo (27) has since appeared in court charged with fraud. He was not formally charged when he appeared before Harare magistrate, Mr Shane Kubonera, who remanded him out of custody to July 5 this year on US$150 bail coupled with reporting conditions.
Muchemwa is employed as a magistrate by Ministry of Justice based at Tredgold Magistrates' Court in Bulawayo.
Prosecutor Ms Svodai Kadivirire alleges that on April 23 this year, Mukondo and his accomplices who are still at large only known as George and Webster met the magistrate at NSSA Building along Second Street in Harare.
Webster allegedly told the complainant that he knew of a George who was in possession of soiled US dollars, which needed to be cleaned.
He allegedly told the magistrate that the George in question did not have US$10 000 to purchase the chemical that was needed to clean the soiled US$3,5 million.
The magistrate, it is alleged, was eager to see the dirty money and was taken to Bronte Hotel where he met George.
George allegedly told him that he had US$3,5 million, which needed to be cleaned, but he did not have money to buy the required chemicals. The magistrate left for Bulawayo and promised to help in sourcing the money. On April 29 the complainant came to Harare and gave George the US$10 000 for him to purchase the said chemical, the State alleges.
The magistrate was promised a payment of US$10 000 in two days on top of his initial investment.
Sometime in May, George contacted the complainant and informed him that he needed an additional US$5 000 to buy heating powder and activating salt to complete the cleaning process. On May 17 the complainant gave George the US$5 000 and a further US$1 600 on May 23 after George requested it on the pretext that he wanted to carry out further tests.
On May 24 the complainant contacted George on his 0774 166 011 mobile number but he was not reachable.
On June 18 the magistrate became suspicious and reported the matter to the police leading to the arrest of Mukondo who is the registered owner of the Econet number. As a result the complainant suffered a prejudice of US$16 600.
They convinced him to part with the money saying they would use it to buy a chemical to clean the US$3,5 million cash.
One of the suspects, Gumisai Mukondo (27) has since appeared in court charged with fraud. He was not formally charged when he appeared before Harare magistrate, Mr Shane Kubonera, who remanded him out of custody to July 5 this year on US$150 bail coupled with reporting conditions.
Muchemwa is employed as a magistrate by Ministry of Justice based at Tredgold Magistrates' Court in Bulawayo.
Prosecutor Ms Svodai Kadivirire alleges that on April 23 this year, Mukondo and his accomplices who are still at large only known as George and Webster met the magistrate at NSSA Building along Second Street in Harare.
Webster allegedly told the complainant that he knew of a George who was in possession of soiled US dollars, which needed to be cleaned.
The magistrate, it is alleged, was eager to see the dirty money and was taken to Bronte Hotel where he met George.
George allegedly told him that he had US$3,5 million, which needed to be cleaned, but he did not have money to buy the required chemicals. The magistrate left for Bulawayo and promised to help in sourcing the money. On April 29 the complainant came to Harare and gave George the US$10 000 for him to purchase the said chemical, the State alleges.
The magistrate was promised a payment of US$10 000 in two days on top of his initial investment.
Sometime in May, George contacted the complainant and informed him that he needed an additional US$5 000 to buy heating powder and activating salt to complete the cleaning process. On May 17 the complainant gave George the US$5 000 and a further US$1 600 on May 23 after George requested it on the pretext that he wanted to carry out further tests.
On May 24 the complainant contacted George on his 0774 166 011 mobile number but he was not reachable.
On June 18 the magistrate became suspicious and reported the matter to the police leading to the arrest of Mukondo who is the registered owner of the Econet number. As a result the complainant suffered a prejudice of US$16 600.
Source - TH
