4 years on the run stand fraudster in court

A MAN from Bulawayo's Cowdray Park suburb has been arrested for allegedly selling a non-existent residential stand for $3 000.

Farai Matavire (42) allegedly duped Mr Ranganai Ndava (42) that he was a Bulawayo City Council (BCC) contractor and was selling a stand in Cowdray Park suburb.

Matavire met Mr Ndava at the BCC offices in the city in November 2011 and allegedly told him to deposit $3 000 in his bank account for the stand.

Mr Ndava developed the stand, but lost it when its owner claimed it.

Matavire was on the run since 2011 until he was arrested in December last year for the crime.

He appeared before Magistrate Mr Manasa Musiiwa on Friday facing a fraud charge.

Matavire pleaded not guilty and was remanded out of custody to January 18.

"I did not defraud this man. I assisted him to get a house stand, unfortunately, l think the city council allocated the stand to someone else," he said.

Prosecuting, Mr Mthulisi Moyo said sometime in November 2011, Matavire approached Mr Ndava and told him that he was selling one of his stands in Cowdray Park suburb.

"The complainant paid $3 000 in batches to the accused person as the money to purchase the stand. The complainant went on to develop the stand but only to discover that the owner of the stand was Mr Gerald Bhebhe," he said.

Mr Moyo said the accused contacted Matavire but he was evasive.

He said in 2015, Matavire lied and said he was admitted at Mpilo Central Hospital.

"The complainant and the police went to the hospital to meet the accused person but the nurses told them that the hospital did not have such a patient. In 2016, the accused person made a call to the complainant saying that he was having an important meeting with the President," said Mr Moyo.

He said Matavire made a call to Mr Ndava in December last year and falsely claimed that he was accompanying President Mugabe to a conference in Masvingo and promised that he was going to restitute his money .

Mr Moyo said in December last year, the complainant saw Matavire at a city food outlet and reported him to the police leading to his arrest.