News / National
Magistrate issues arrest warrant for top lawyer
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Prominent lawyer Wilson Manase is now a wanted man after Harare magistrate Clever Tsikwa issued a warrant for his arrest following his failure to appear in court to face fraud charges involving nearly US$3 million.
Manase, who is being charged alongside Marshall Mutandwa Shadaya, was expected to stand trial but did not turn up, prompting the court to take action. Meanwhile, his co-accused, Shadaya, was present in court and was remanded for trial on March 19.
The case stems from allegations raised by the complainant, Langton Nyatsambo, who accuses the two of orchestrating a fraudulent scheme to unlawfully take over the estate of his late wife, Fiona Dambudzo Shadaya.
According to court documents, Nyatsambo legally married Fiona in 1995 under the Marriages Act (Chapter 5:11), and the couple acquired multiple properties registered jointly and in Fiona's name. Their union resulted in the birth of their child, Nyasha Nyatsambo.
However, tragedy struck on February 22, 2009, when Fiona passed away after falling ill. It is alleged that following her death, Manase and Shadaya conspired to defraud Nyatsambo by forging legal documents to claim the deceased's estate.
The accused allegedly produced and submitted fraudulent documents to the High Court and the Master of the High Court, falsely claiming that Fiona was unmarried at the time of her death. Among the alleged forgeries were a fake Will, Divorce Order, Marriage Certificate, and Death Certificate.
Shadaya, who had access to the couple's personal records, allegedly worked with Manase, who then acted as the Executor of Fiona's estate. They reportedly presented the fabricated documents to the High Court to facilitate an illegal registration of the estate, excluding Nyatsambo from the inheritance process.
Investigations revealed major inconsistencies in the documents submitted by the accused. The purported Will presented to the High Court was signed on October 5, 2008, whereas a different version submitted to the Master of the High Court was dated November 5, 2008.
Further scrutiny exposed that the Divorce Order, which supposedly dissolved the marriage between Nyatsambo and Fiona in 1996, had never been granted by the courts. Additionally, discrepancies were found in the estate's distribution accounts. The accused presented one set of figures to the Master of the High Court showing a distribution balance of US$4,978,956.98, while a different figure of US$2,845,958.80 was submitted to the High Court.
Nyatsambo became suspicious when he attempted to claim his late wife's estate, only to find that official records falsely stated he had been divorced from Fiona for over a decade before her death. Upon verifying with the High Court, he discovered that the documents allegedly filed by Manase and Shadaya had no legal basis.
Realizing that his rights had been violated, Nyatsambo reported the matter to the police, leading to the arrest of Shadaya and the issuance of a warrant for Manase.
As the legal proceedings unfold, the case has drawn significant attention, given Manase's high-profile legal career. With the arrest warrant now in effect, authorities are expected to take further action to bring him before the court.
Manase, who is being charged alongside Marshall Mutandwa Shadaya, was expected to stand trial but did not turn up, prompting the court to take action. Meanwhile, his co-accused, Shadaya, was present in court and was remanded for trial on March 19.
The case stems from allegations raised by the complainant, Langton Nyatsambo, who accuses the two of orchestrating a fraudulent scheme to unlawfully take over the estate of his late wife, Fiona Dambudzo Shadaya.
According to court documents, Nyatsambo legally married Fiona in 1995 under the Marriages Act (Chapter 5:11), and the couple acquired multiple properties registered jointly and in Fiona's name. Their union resulted in the birth of their child, Nyasha Nyatsambo.
However, tragedy struck on February 22, 2009, when Fiona passed away after falling ill. It is alleged that following her death, Manase and Shadaya conspired to defraud Nyatsambo by forging legal documents to claim the deceased's estate.
The accused allegedly produced and submitted fraudulent documents to the High Court and the Master of the High Court, falsely claiming that Fiona was unmarried at the time of her death. Among the alleged forgeries were a fake Will, Divorce Order, Marriage Certificate, and Death Certificate.
Investigations revealed major inconsistencies in the documents submitted by the accused. The purported Will presented to the High Court was signed on October 5, 2008, whereas a different version submitted to the Master of the High Court was dated November 5, 2008.
Further scrutiny exposed that the Divorce Order, which supposedly dissolved the marriage between Nyatsambo and Fiona in 1996, had never been granted by the courts. Additionally, discrepancies were found in the estate's distribution accounts. The accused presented one set of figures to the Master of the High Court showing a distribution balance of US$4,978,956.98, while a different figure of US$2,845,958.80 was submitted to the High Court.
Nyatsambo became suspicious when he attempted to claim his late wife's estate, only to find that official records falsely stated he had been divorced from Fiona for over a decade before her death. Upon verifying with the High Court, he discovered that the documents allegedly filed by Manase and Shadaya had no legal basis.
Realizing that his rights had been violated, Nyatsambo reported the matter to the police, leading to the arrest of Shadaya and the issuance of a warrant for Manase.
As the legal proceedings unfold, the case has drawn significant attention, given Manase's high-profile legal career. With the arrest warrant now in effect, authorities are expected to take further action to bring him before the court.
Source - newsday
