News / National
Benjani Mwaruwari swindled $20k, man appears in court
10 Jun 2011 at 04:23hrs | Views
A MAN has been arrested over a US$20,000 swindle targeting for Zimbabwe Warriors captain and Blackburn striker, Benjani Mwaruwari.
Leeroy Waguta, 25, was not asked to plead when he appeared before Harare magistrate Shane Kanobera on Thursday charged with two counts of fraud.
He was released on US$100 bail and ordered to surrender his passport. He will next appear in court on June 23.
Waguta, of Harare, was previously employed as a general hand at Mwaruwari's properties in South Africa.
The court heard that on two separate occasions in November last year, Waguta misrepresented to two associates of the former Zimbabwe captain that he had authorised payments to be extended to him.
Prosecuting, Vernancia Mtake told the court that Waguta first approached Mwaruwari's legal representative in South Africa, claiming that the Blackburn striker had given permission for R100,000 (about US$14,800) to be transferred into his account.
On the second occasion, Waguta allegedly approached another of the £35,000-a-week striker's associates claiming he had okayed a US$5,000 transfer to be made to his account.
On both occasions, the money was paid without questions.
The alleged fraud only came to light when Mwaruwari was accosted by his friend seeking the repayment of his US$5,000 loan.
Waguta allegedly fled South Africa where the fraud was initially reported until his apprehension in Zimbabwe last month.
Mwaruwari is Zimbabwe's highest paid sports star with an annual salary of US$3,405,584.00 (£2,065,611.32 or R22,603,110.71), according to a United States sports magazine.
The former Auxerre, Portsmouth and Manchester City striker earned US$283,798.66 (£172,134.27 or R1,883,592.55) per month last year, or US$70,949.66 (£43,033.56 or R470,898.13) per week.
Leeroy Waguta, 25, was not asked to plead when he appeared before Harare magistrate Shane Kanobera on Thursday charged with two counts of fraud.
He was released on US$100 bail and ordered to surrender his passport. He will next appear in court on June 23.
Waguta, of Harare, was previously employed as a general hand at Mwaruwari's properties in South Africa.
The court heard that on two separate occasions in November last year, Waguta misrepresented to two associates of the former Zimbabwe captain that he had authorised payments to be extended to him.
Prosecuting, Vernancia Mtake told the court that Waguta first approached Mwaruwari's legal representative in South Africa, claiming that the Blackburn striker had given permission for R100,000 (about US$14,800) to be transferred into his account.
On the second occasion, Waguta allegedly approached another of the £35,000-a-week striker's associates claiming he had okayed a US$5,000 transfer to be made to his account.
On both occasions, the money was paid without questions.
The alleged fraud only came to light when Mwaruwari was accosted by his friend seeking the repayment of his US$5,000 loan.
Waguta allegedly fled South Africa where the fraud was initially reported until his apprehension in Zimbabwe last month.
Mwaruwari is Zimbabwe's highest paid sports star with an annual salary of US$3,405,584.00 (£2,065,611.32 or R22,603,110.71), according to a United States sports magazine.
The former Auxerre, Portsmouth and Manchester City striker earned US$283,798.66 (£172,134.27 or R1,883,592.55) per month last year, or US$70,949.66 (£43,033.56 or R470,898.13) per week.
Source - NewZim
