NUST student swindles insurance firm

A National University of Science and Technology student allegedly swindled Clarion Insurance of over $12 000 in an insurance scam while working as an intern.

Tinashe Stanley Chirandu (22) allegedly altered the dates on an insurance claim of a fraudulent policy cover made after an accident.

Chirandu was not formally charged when he appeared before Harare magistrate Ms Rumbidzai Mugwagwa and was remanded to February 2 on $50 bail. He was ordered to report on Fridays at CID Commercial Crime and to reside at his given address pending finalisation of the matter.

The complainant is Clarion Insurance, represented by its head of marketing and claims Mr Burningstone Chidari. Prosecutor Ms Audrey Chogumaira alleged that sometime in July 2015, Trinity Katsidzira imported a Nissan Caravan from Japan.

The court heard that the vehicle was registered with the Central Vehicle Registry under registration number ADS 6439. It is alleged that Katsidzira connived with Gerald Chikate and created a fake Clarion passenger insurance cover policy number 22869 to enable the vehicle to operate.

Katsidzira and Chikate have already appeared in court on similar charges. On January 25 last year, the vehicle was involved in an accident that killed three passengers. Katsidzira allegedly submitted the forged insurance certificate to the police.

Three days later, together with Chikate, Katsidzira obtained a genuine Clarion passenger insurance policy number 31582. The court heard that on February 22, 2016, the pair connived with Chirandu and made an insurance claim of $12 628,44. To cover their tracks, Chirandu altered the claim sheet purporting that the accident occurred on February 22, 2016 instead of January 25 the same year.

This was to make the claim fall under the genuine passenger insurance cover which was opened on January 28, after the accident. The offence was discovered, leading to the arrest of the trio.