News / National
City of Harare 'employee' up for US$92,000 fraud
11 hrs ago | Views
A 47-year-old man, James Bleya, appeared before Harare Magistrate Appollonia Marutya on fraud charges after allegedly defrauding a local company director of US$92,000 in a bogus land transaction.
Bleya, who is suspected of posing as a City of Harare employee, was represented by lawyer Idah Mateke Maromo during his court appearance. He was granted US$250 bail and instructed to reside at his given residential address until the matter is finalized. Bleya will return to court for a routine remand hearing on January 17, 2025, as investigations into the case continue.
The complainant in the case is Matthew Wheeler, the director of a local company.
According to the State prosecutor Rufaro Chonzi, the incident began in January 2024, when Wheeler expressed interest in purchasing residential stands through a letter addressed to the City of Harare's Department of Housing and Community Services. It is unclear how Bleya became aware of Wheeler's application, but he allegedly misrepresented himself as a Harare City Council employee capable of facilitating the purchase of the stands.
Between June and October 2024, Wheeler allegedly paid Bleya a total of US$92,000 as the purported purchase price for the residential stands. In return, Bleya gave Wheeler fake receipts for the payments.
The situation took a turn when Wheeler, growing suspicious, asked for further documentation proving Bleya's legitimacy. However, Bleya reportedly became evasive, failing to provide any verifiable information about the stands' ownership.
Determined to resolve the issue, Wheeler visited the City of Harare offices, only to discover that Bleya was not employed by the council and that his file could not be located. Wheeler then filed a police report, which led to Bleya's arrest.
Bleya now faces charges of fraud, and his case will proceed with further investigations pending. The court proceedings have drawn attention to the growing issue of fraudulent schemes targeting unsuspecting members of the public.
Bleya, who is suspected of posing as a City of Harare employee, was represented by lawyer Idah Mateke Maromo during his court appearance. He was granted US$250 bail and instructed to reside at his given residential address until the matter is finalized. Bleya will return to court for a routine remand hearing on January 17, 2025, as investigations into the case continue.
The complainant in the case is Matthew Wheeler, the director of a local company.
According to the State prosecutor Rufaro Chonzi, the incident began in January 2024, when Wheeler expressed interest in purchasing residential stands through a letter addressed to the City of Harare's Department of Housing and Community Services. It is unclear how Bleya became aware of Wheeler's application, but he allegedly misrepresented himself as a Harare City Council employee capable of facilitating the purchase of the stands.
Between June and October 2024, Wheeler allegedly paid Bleya a total of US$92,000 as the purported purchase price for the residential stands. In return, Bleya gave Wheeler fake receipts for the payments.
The situation took a turn when Wheeler, growing suspicious, asked for further documentation proving Bleya's legitimacy. However, Bleya reportedly became evasive, failing to provide any verifiable information about the stands' ownership.
Determined to resolve the issue, Wheeler visited the City of Harare offices, only to discover that Bleya was not employed by the council and that his file could not be located. Wheeler then filed a police report, which led to Bleya's arrest.
Bleya now faces charges of fraud, and his case will proceed with further investigations pending. The court proceedings have drawn attention to the growing issue of fraudulent schemes targeting unsuspecting members of the public.
Source - newsday
