Fraudulent house sale sucks in lawyer

Mutumbuka, the country’s first Education minister lost his US$600 000 house to fraudsters who allegedly connived with officials from the Deeds Office to change its title deeds with the intent to sell the house.

HARARE lawyer, Kenias Mutyasira, has been summoned to court to testify in a case in which former Education minister Dzingai Mutumbuka lost his house to fraudsters.

Mutumbuka, the country’s first Education minister lost his US$600 000 house to fraudsters who allegedly connived with officials from the Deeds Office to change its title deeds with the intent to sell the house.

Mutsyasira, who we earlier erroneously reported that he was on the run over the matter, prepared the initial agreement of sale which was aborted when fraud was discovered and arrests were made, which effectively turned him into a witness.

Two other suspects Prosper Bizweck and Tatenda Shaft Wakatama are also appearing in court for the offence.

Some suspects Taurai Makata, Jonah Ngome, Peter Chigayo and Mutyasira were said to be at large as of November 2, 2021.

Mutumbuka, who is member of the governing board for Unesco (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation)’s International Institute for Educational Planning in the United States reported the suspects to the police after they had already sold his property for US$140 000.

According to court papers, on June 22, 2021,  Bizweck and Wakatama forged title deeds of Mutumbuka’s house number 90 Harare Drive, Chisipite.

Working with officials from the Deeds Registry office, they put the title deeds under Ngome’s name.

As a result of the fraud, they managed to sell Mutumbuka’s house to Harrison Marange for US$140 000. Ngome was found in possession of a City of Harare tax invoice which he used in selling Mutumbuka’s house.

The investigating officer said there were WhatsApp messages in which Marange was demanding US$45 000 from the duo which he paid as deposit towards the purchase of the house.

The accused persons were summoned by the police, but they did not present themselves and Wakatama was arrested after a 12-hour manhunt.

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