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Bulawayo housing fraudster jailed 10 years
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Elliot Mharadze, a notorious housing fraudster from Bulawayo, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after being convicted of defrauding eight victims of over US$56,445 and R664,000 six years ago.
Appearing before the Bulawayo regional magistrate, Ms. Benhilda Chiwundura, Mharadze was found guilty of eight counts of fraud. However, the court suspended two years of his sentence on the condition that he does not commit a similar crime within that period. An additional four years were suspended, contingent on Mharadze fully restituting the money he defrauded from his victims.
Mharadze's modus operandi involved targeting diasporan individuals, whom he deceived into believing he was a registered land developer with property for sale. Once his victims made payments for residential stands, Mharadze would disappear, leaving them with nothing.
One of his victims, his own niece, was defrauded of US$9,700 for a stand and US$2,400 to construct a housing structure up to the foundation level. Another victim, Ms. Phepelaphi Dube, paid Mharadze US$10,205 for a two-roomed semi-finished house in Pumula South suburb, only to find that the house belonged to someone else. She reported the matter to the police after discovering another occupant in the property.
Mharadze also targeted Ms. Mumo Ncube, who wanted to purchase a two-roomed house in Pelandaba West. He instructed her to make payments of ZWL9,300 and R50,000 over 18 months, but the house was never built as agreed. Additionally, Ms. Tackler Gumbo, based in South Africa, became another victim when she sought to buy a residential stand from Mharadze in August 2018.
Initially, Mharadze's lawyer, Mr. Tinashe Runganga, denied the charges. However, after the State presented its evidence, including testimonies from three witnesses, Mharadze changed his plea to guilty.
In passing the sentence, Ms. Chiwundura condemned Mharadze's actions, describing his behavior as deplorable and driven by greed. She emphasized that his fraudulent activities caused significant financial harm to his victims, and the sentence reflected the severity of his crimes.
Appearing before the Bulawayo regional magistrate, Ms. Benhilda Chiwundura, Mharadze was found guilty of eight counts of fraud. However, the court suspended two years of his sentence on the condition that he does not commit a similar crime within that period. An additional four years were suspended, contingent on Mharadze fully restituting the money he defrauded from his victims.
Mharadze's modus operandi involved targeting diasporan individuals, whom he deceived into believing he was a registered land developer with property for sale. Once his victims made payments for residential stands, Mharadze would disappear, leaving them with nothing.
Mharadze also targeted Ms. Mumo Ncube, who wanted to purchase a two-roomed house in Pelandaba West. He instructed her to make payments of ZWL9,300 and R50,000 over 18 months, but the house was never built as agreed. Additionally, Ms. Tackler Gumbo, based in South Africa, became another victim when she sought to buy a residential stand from Mharadze in August 2018.
Initially, Mharadze's lawyer, Mr. Tinashe Runganga, denied the charges. However, after the State presented its evidence, including testimonies from three witnesses, Mharadze changed his plea to guilty.
In passing the sentence, Ms. Chiwundura condemned Mharadze's actions, describing his behavior as deplorable and driven by greed. She emphasized that his fraudulent activities caused significant financial harm to his victims, and the sentence reflected the severity of his crimes.
Source - The Chronicle
