News / National
Bogus presidential scheme agent arrested for US$38K fraud
2 hrs ago | 29 Views
A 25-year-old man from Glen Norah, Harare, has appeared in court on charges of fraud after allegedly posing as a government employee working under presidential schemes.
The accused, Arthur Mugomo, appeared before magistrate Ethel Chichera yesterday and was released on US$200 bail.
The complainant, Vennah Mugarisanwa (46), who is based in the United Kingdom, was allegedly defrauded of US$38,000 between August 2024 and July 2025.
Prosecutors told the court that Mugomo misrepresented himself as a government project coordinator and claimed that the State was offering residential stands, farms, tractors, and farm inputs to Zimbabweans in the diaspora under various presidential schemes, with resources purportedly sourced from China.
To bolster his deception, Mugomo allegedly registered four mobile phone lines under false names and addresses, which he used to communicate with Mugarisanwa. He is said to have convinced her to pay participation fees for the purported projects via World Remit, Omari, and Mukuru.
When no progress reports were provided as promised, Mugarisanwa engaged her lawyers, Tawanda Law Practices Legal Practitioners, who reported the matter to the CID Commercial Crimes Division.
The State alleges that Mugarisanwa suffered an actual prejudice of US$38,000, none of which has been recovered to date.
The accused, Arthur Mugomo, appeared before magistrate Ethel Chichera yesterday and was released on US$200 bail.
The complainant, Vennah Mugarisanwa (46), who is based in the United Kingdom, was allegedly defrauded of US$38,000 between August 2024 and July 2025.
Prosecutors told the court that Mugomo misrepresented himself as a government project coordinator and claimed that the State was offering residential stands, farms, tractors, and farm inputs to Zimbabweans in the diaspora under various presidential schemes, with resources purportedly sourced from China.
To bolster his deception, Mugomo allegedly registered four mobile phone lines under false names and addresses, which he used to communicate with Mugarisanwa. He is said to have convinced her to pay participation fees for the purported projects via World Remit, Omari, and Mukuru.
When no progress reports were provided as promised, Mugarisanwa engaged her lawyers, Tawanda Law Practices Legal Practitioners, who reported the matter to the CID Commercial Crimes Division.
The State alleges that Mugarisanwa suffered an actual prejudice of US$38,000, none of which has been recovered to date.
Source - Newsday
