News / National
Zim man steals corpse to claim $710
15 Jul 2012 at 07:06hrs | Views
While mourners were grieving over their loved ones who perished in a recent accident involving a bus belonging to Megalink Company, a Harare man stole an identity document which he used to claim one of the corpses in a bid to receive US$710 that the State and the company disbursed to each of the families of the victims to assist with burial.
The man, who is yet to be identified, is said to have stolen the document belonging to one Allen Mapuranga.
He then used it to claim the body of Anna Kadzere, saying she was his sister.
He received US$200 from the State and a further US$510 from Megalink Bus Company.
He later dumped the corpse at Nyaradzo Funeral Parlour in Harare after which he vanished with the money.
The fatal road accident occurred at the 92 km peg along the Beitbridge-Masvingo road, killing 21 people.
Masvingo provincial police spokesperson Inspector Tinaye Matake said officers were now frantically searching for the fraudster.
"We have launched a manhunt for a man who stole an identity document that he used to claim a female accident victim's body," he said.
"He was given US$200 by the State and an additional US$510 by Megalink Bus Company for funeral expenses.
"The man claimed the body and left it at Nyaradzo Funeral Parlour in Harare under the pretext that he was going to get a car to collect it for burial. He then disappeared."
Inspector Matake said the offence only came to light when the victim's husband, who lives in Harare, learnt of the death through the Press.
All hell broke lose when he got to Masvingo and was told that his wife was one of the accident victims and that her body had already been claimed by her "brother".
The man became suspicious and asked police to investigate.
He, together with the woman's relatives, later took her body from Nyaradzo Funeral Parlour for burial.
The man, who is yet to be identified, is said to have stolen the document belonging to one Allen Mapuranga.
He then used it to claim the body of Anna Kadzere, saying she was his sister.
He received US$200 from the State and a further US$510 from Megalink Bus Company.
He later dumped the corpse at Nyaradzo Funeral Parlour in Harare after which he vanished with the money.
The fatal road accident occurred at the 92 km peg along the Beitbridge-Masvingo road, killing 21 people.
"We have launched a manhunt for a man who stole an identity document that he used to claim a female accident victim's body," he said.
"He was given US$200 by the State and an additional US$510 by Megalink Bus Company for funeral expenses.
"The man claimed the body and left it at Nyaradzo Funeral Parlour in Harare under the pretext that he was going to get a car to collect it for burial. He then disappeared."
Inspector Matake said the offence only came to light when the victim's husband, who lives in Harare, learnt of the death through the Press.
All hell broke lose when he got to Masvingo and was told that his wife was one of the accident victims and that her body had already been claimed by her "brother".
The man became suspicious and asked police to investigate.
He, together with the woman's relatives, later took her body from Nyaradzo Funeral Parlour for burial.
Source - TH
