'Undressed nun pictures' extortionist made up identities of accomplices

A MAN who impersonated a B-Metro reporter to extort $1,200 from a nun, made up the identities of his two accomplices who are "still on the run," a court heard yesterday.

Mike Chimutanda, 41, of Acacia Grove in Marondera allegedly told Sister Concilia Jangara, the Regina Mundi Girls' High School headmistress, that he had her indecent pictures. He allegedly demanded $1,208 from the nun to stop publication of the photos.

The court heard he somehow opened a Cabs account in the name of a Showan Ndlovu, one of the accomplices.

Detectives yesterday told the court Ndlovu and his given national identity card number does not exist on the national registrar records.

Initially, Chimutanda was charged with extortion together with Tsitsi Kahari, a Cabs Textacash agent.

Kahari has since turned State witness.

Chimutanda asked Sister Jangara to deposit the money into the non-existent Ndlovu's account and he found a way to transfer it to Kahari's account, from which it was withdrawn, the court heard.

Chimutanda's wife has since repaid the money.

He appeared before regional magistrate Musaiwona Shotgame yesterday.

Chimutanda represented himself and is pleading not guilty.

Shotgame remanded him out of custody on $100 bail to November 3 for judgment.

Prosecution called Detective Assistant Inspector Amos Mushayavanhu who told the court that Chimutanda was the sophisticated mastermind of the crime.

He said police had reason to believe his accomplices, Showan Ndlovu and Tenias Mapfune, were fictitious.

Det Asst Insp Mushayavanhu said after receiving the complaint from Sister Jangara, he checked with Cabs for Ndlovu's personal details.

"An account with the name Showan Ndlovu exists but the address given, Number 2 Nhira, Marondera, doesn't exist," said the detective.

"The national identity card number 18-152117-N- 79 used to open the account with Cabs doesn't belong to anyone, according to correspondence I received from the registrar's office.

"So there's no Showan Ndlovu with that address and national identification number," said Det Asst Insp Mushayavanhu.

He said after locating Kahari in Marondera, she indicated that she had been introduced to Chimutanda by her cousin sister Marvellous Makavi before giving him her Cabs ATM card.

Det Asst Insp Mushayavanhu said the person who appeared on the bank's CCTV withdrawing the money was not Chimutanda but someone he had tasked to do his "dirty work."

The detective told the court how he had to jump over a precast wall to arrest Chimutanda after his wife lied that he was not at home.

In defence, Chimutanda said: "I was expecting money from Mapfune and asked for the ATM card. I paid back the money to show that I didn't intend to con the complainant. I'm popular in Marondera, I'm a music promoter and wouldn't do this," he said.

Prosecuting, Calvin Guvheya told the court that in July this year, Kahari allegedly connived with Chimutanda to steal from the Regina Mundi headmistress.

"Chimutanda told Jangara that he was going to assist in stopping the publication of the story and her nude photos provided she paid $1,208, which Jangara paid into a Cabs account," said Guvheya.

"The matter came to light when Jangara called B-Metro offices and discovered Chimutanda was not employed by the publication," said Guvheya.