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Cop up for identity theft

by Staff reporter
12 Dec 2017 at 07:51hrs | Views
A cop based at Commercial Crimes Unit in Harare reportedly stole his workmate's particulars and used them to purchase a smart phone from G-Tel on credit, a court heard yesterday.

Edmore Mushaya, 29, was charged with fraud when he appeared before Harare magistrate Barbra Mateko on Saturday.

He was granted $50 bail, ordered not to interfere with witnesses and continue residing at his present address as part of bail conditions.

Mushaya was remanded to January 10 next year.

The complainant is Mushaya's workmate Lloyd Chitombo, a police constable at Commercial Crimes Unit.

The State alleged that on November 4, Mushaya reportedly stole Chitombo's pay slip and national identity card.

He reportedly wanted to upgrade his cellphone and approached G-Tel agent Kim Koti armed with Chitombo's particulars.

The court heard that Koti sold G-Tel mobile phones on credit at Harare Central Police Station. Mushaya llegedly masqueraded as Chitombo and purchased a G-Tel X5 mini handset valued at $420.

He reportedly completed Credit Application and Declaration Forms using Chitombo's particulars and was photographed by Koti since it was a requirement when the purchaser's details would be entered into G-Tel's computer systems.

Following this transaction, the court heard, G-Tel was scheduled to deduct $35 through Salary Service Bureau from Chitombo's salary every month for a year.

The offence came to light on November 29 when Chitombo visited G-Tel business offices along Nelson Mandela Avenue, Harare, intending to purchase a phone on credit.

It was alleged that Chitombo discovered that Mushaya had fraudulently acquired a mobile phone using his particulars on November 4.

This prompted Chitombo to file a police report against Mushaya, leading to his arrest on December 8 this year.

Source - dailynews