A HARARE woman on Thursday pleaded guilty to swindling a Gweru man of $1 600 after masquerading as a Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) official and promising to get him a vehicle from their auction at a cheap rate. STEPHEN CHADENGA OWN CORRESPONDENT
Kudzai Nyoka (28) of Westlea, Harare, met the complainant Tererai Murenga in Gweru and assured him that if he deposited the money in her EcoCash account, she would acquire and deliver the car to him.
Murenga deposited the money, but Nyoka failed to fulfil her promise and he made a report to the police.
The State alleged that on May 22, Murenga was told by his brother that he had a friend at Zimra who could assist in delivering cheap cars.
On May 28 Murenga contacted Nyoka and asked her to send him pictures of the vehicles on auction.
Nyoka asked Murenga to deposit $1 200 and on June 2, she asked him to deposit the remaining $400 into her friend’s EcoCash account, which he did.
However, Nyoka never delivered the promised vehicle.
Nyoka told Gweru magistrate Judith Taruvinga that she committed the fraud out of desperation after her husband had left her for another woman.
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She said her brother had also left for Russia leaving her as the family’s bread winner.
Taruvinga sentenced Nyoka to 18 months in prison, but suspended six months on condition of good behaviour. Eight months were suspended on condition that she performs 280 hours of community service at Westlea Primary School while the remaining four months were set aside on condition that she paid $1 600 restitution to the complainant by August 15.
