A POLICEWOMAN based in Mashava has been arraigned before the courts for faking her husband’s death in a bid to defraud First Mutual Life of $1 500 in funeral policy benefits.
Tatenda Chitagu Own Correspondent
Mary Matare (32), whose rank was not given in court papers, was last Friday jointly charged with her husband Maxwell Mataire (32) and Victor Chademana (32), an employee at the Registrar-General’s office.
Prosecutor Taonga Musina told the court that on November 17 last year, the cop connived with Chademana and got a fake burial order for her “late husband” Maxwell.
Mary, the court further heard, approached First Mutual the following day and claimed the money from the funeral policy as the wife of the “deceased”. She provided a picture of Maxwell identifying him as her “late” husband.
However, the three ran out of luck after officials from First Mutual Life smelt a rat as Maxwell’s name matched that of someone who had come to their offices three days before enquiring about his funeral policy.
The officials decided to verify the burial order with the district registrar’s offices before cashing out and discovered that the burial order was fake, as it contained Maxwell’s late father’s name, yet the claim form had the cop’s husband’s name.
First Mutual Life officials reported the matter to the police, leading to the arrest of the three. Magistrate Sibonginkosi Mnkandla remanded them out of custody to April 10 for further trial.
