News / National
Lawyer in eye of forgery storm
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Prominent lawyer Nyaradzayi Musungwa Maphosa appeared in court accused of forging a birth certificate to facilitate the inclusion of an unrelated child as a beneficiary of a deceased person's estate.
Maphosa, who was not formally charged, stood before Harare Magistrate Rufaro Panavanhu on allegations of forgery and fraud. She was remanded out of custody to February 11.
The alleged scheme came to light after Shingai Bianca Muchenje uncovered irregularities during the estate registration process, prompting her to report the matter to law enforcement authorities.
According to State Prosecutor Rufaro Chonzi, the alleged forgery occurred between August and November 2023. During this period, Maphosa is accused of conspiring with Nyasha Mavhita, an accomplice still at large, to produce a fraudulent birth certificate bearing entry number 63-3201386 A38.
The document falsely declared the child as the biological son of the late Zivanai Muchenje. Additionally, Maphosa is accused of forging an affidavit and submitting these falsified documents to the Master of the High Court.
The intention, the prosecution claims, was to unlawfully include the child as a beneficiary of Zivanai Muchenje's estate.
However, official records from the Registrar of Births and Deaths contradicted the claim, showing that the child was the son of another individual with the Muchenje surname, not the late Zivanai Muchenje.
The discrepancies were discovered during the estate administration process, leading Shingai Muchenje to lodge a formal police complaint. This subsequently resulted in Maphosa's arrest and the initiation of legal proceedings.
The case highlights ongoing concerns over fraudulent practices in estate administration and the exploitation of legal systems for personal gain. Further investigations are underway to locate the accomplice, Nyasha Mavhita.
Maphosa, who was not formally charged, stood before Harare Magistrate Rufaro Panavanhu on allegations of forgery and fraud. She was remanded out of custody to February 11.
The alleged scheme came to light after Shingai Bianca Muchenje uncovered irregularities during the estate registration process, prompting her to report the matter to law enforcement authorities.
According to State Prosecutor Rufaro Chonzi, the alleged forgery occurred between August and November 2023. During this period, Maphosa is accused of conspiring with Nyasha Mavhita, an accomplice still at large, to produce a fraudulent birth certificate bearing entry number 63-3201386 A38.
The intention, the prosecution claims, was to unlawfully include the child as a beneficiary of Zivanai Muchenje's estate.
However, official records from the Registrar of Births and Deaths contradicted the claim, showing that the child was the son of another individual with the Muchenje surname, not the late Zivanai Muchenje.
The discrepancies were discovered during the estate administration process, leading Shingai Muchenje to lodge a formal police complaint. This subsequently resulted in Maphosa's arrest and the initiation of legal proceedings.
The case highlights ongoing concerns over fraudulent practices in estate administration and the exploitation of legal systems for personal gain. Further investigations are underway to locate the accomplice, Nyasha Mavhita.
Source - the herald
