News / Local
Fraudster dupes local crèches
20 Mar 2016 at 05:28hrs | Views
A CHITUNGWIZA man who allegedly posed as a Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education official to defraud various Dangamvura pre-school owners will spend the next 11 months in jail.
Manica Post reported that James Zungu (31) of 11069, Unit A, Seke, Chitungwiza was sentenced to 24 months imprisonment on four counts of fraud.
Six months were suspended on condition of good behaviour, while additional eight-months were suspended on condition that he restitutes the complainants $199 he had defrauded them.
He pleaded guilty to all the counts as defined under Section 136 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform Act), Chapter 9:23. The complainants are Virginia Mtetwa, Sithakile Sibanda, Thulani Chigwidi and Joyce Mwanza.
Zungu was also charged for possessing a fake $100 note and was slapped with 30 days imprisonment.
Senior Mutare magistrate, Sekai Chiundura presided over the case.
In passing her sentence, Chiundura said there was need for a stiffer penalty for the suspect who travelled a long way to Mutare to defraud unsuspecting people in Mutare.
"The sentence will also go a long way in discouraging other prospective fraudsters in the making. The society shuns fraudsters because they dupe people of their hard earned money," she said.
Fletcher Karombe represented the State.
Circumstances surrounding the matter were that Zungu targeted four Dangamvura pre-schools namely Happy Day Pre-School, Khayalethu Pre-School, Garden Angels Pre-School and Happy Day Care where he presented himself as an official from the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education.
"On all four occasions, Zungu would produce two identity cards of the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education bearing his name. He stated that he had been sent from the head office in Harare to check on whether pre-schools in Mutare were meeting the required standards.
"He allegedly ordered all four complainants on separate occasions to pay $100 stating that it was money meant for the registration of their pre-schools. The complainants, however, managed to raise $199 of which he ordered them to send the rest using Ecocash. He then gave them two forms for registration," said Mr Karombe.
He was represented by Mutare lawyer, Chipo Cynthia Kanengoni of Gonese and Ndlovu Legal Practitioners.
Manica Post reported that James Zungu (31) of 11069, Unit A, Seke, Chitungwiza was sentenced to 24 months imprisonment on four counts of fraud.
Six months were suspended on condition of good behaviour, while additional eight-months were suspended on condition that he restitutes the complainants $199 he had defrauded them.
He pleaded guilty to all the counts as defined under Section 136 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform Act), Chapter 9:23. The complainants are Virginia Mtetwa, Sithakile Sibanda, Thulani Chigwidi and Joyce Mwanza.
Zungu was also charged for possessing a fake $100 note and was slapped with 30 days imprisonment.
Senior Mutare magistrate, Sekai Chiundura presided over the case.
In passing her sentence, Chiundura said there was need for a stiffer penalty for the suspect who travelled a long way to Mutare to defraud unsuspecting people in Mutare.
Fletcher Karombe represented the State.
Circumstances surrounding the matter were that Zungu targeted four Dangamvura pre-schools namely Happy Day Pre-School, Khayalethu Pre-School, Garden Angels Pre-School and Happy Day Care where he presented himself as an official from the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education.
"On all four occasions, Zungu would produce two identity cards of the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education bearing his name. He stated that he had been sent from the head office in Harare to check on whether pre-schools in Mutare were meeting the required standards.
"He allegedly ordered all four complainants on separate occasions to pay $100 stating that it was money meant for the registration of their pre-schools. The complainants, however, managed to raise $199 of which he ordered them to send the rest using Ecocash. He then gave them two forms for registration," said Mr Karombe.
He was represented by Mutare lawyer, Chipo Cynthia Kanengoni of Gonese and Ndlovu Legal Practitioners.
Source - Manica Post
