Fake Deputy Chief Justice gets 2 years in jail

A 23-year-old Harare man who allegedly impersonated Deputy Chief Justice Paddington Garwe in an attempt to obtain information from Judicial Service Commission officials has been sentenced to two years in prison after being convicted of impersonating a peace officer.

Martin Rashai was found guilty after posing as the country's second-highest-ranking judge and contacting officials within the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) through WhatsApp messages.

According to court findings, Rashai's scheme began on May 5 when JSC deputy head of human resources Tafadzwa Sekeni and human resources officer Abigail Ziti received messages from a mobile number claiming to belong to Deputy Chief Justice Garwe.

The sender sought information regarding recruitment interviews for information technology officer positions and also enquired about a transport officer vacancy at the Kwekwe Magistrates' Court.

The unusual nature of the requests immediately raised suspicion among the officials, who found it unusual that a senior Constitutional Court judge would personally follow up on relatively junior recruitment processes through WhatsApp messages.

Despite their concerns, the individual continued engaging with the officials and claimed to be stationed at the Constitutional Court when asked to verify his identity.

Believing she was communicating with the Deputy Chief Justice, Ziti initially provided some of the requested information.

However, further doubts emerged when attempts to contact the sender by telephone proved unsuccessful. The individual insisted that all communication be conducted through text messages and repeatedly affirmed that he was indeed Deputy Chief Justice Garwe.

Subsequent verification checks revealed that no such inquiries had been authorised and that the mobile number being used did not match any official contact details for the Deputy Chief Justice held by the JSC.

By May 7, officials established that Sekeni had also been contacted by the same number, prompting internal investigations.

The matter was escalated to JSC Deputy Secretary Kumbirai Katsande before being referred to the police.

Investigations by the Criminal Investigations Department later uncovered that Rashai had previously applied for employment with the JSC.

Police obtained a warrant compelling NetOne to provide subscriber information linked to the number used in the impersonation scheme. Records confirmed that the mobile number was registered in Rashai's own name.

Armed with the subscriber information, detectives tracked Rashai to Hurungwe, where he was arrested.

The case ended with Rashai's conviction and a two-year prison sentence, bringing an abrupt end to an impersonation attempt that authorities say was uncovered after only a handful of WhatsApp messages.

The incident has highlighted the importance of verification procedures within public institutions and the growing risks associated with identity impersonation through digital communication platforms.