Man caught trying to sell someone’s plot

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A BULAWAYO man is in trouble after he allegedly defrauded an unsuspecting land-seeker of $21 300 which he collected as payment for a plot that did not belong to him.

A BULAWAYO man is in trouble after he allegedly defrauded an unsuspecting land-seeker of $21 300 which he collected as payment for a plot that did not belong to him.

BY SILAS NKALA

Elphas Ncube (43) of Northville, Bulawayo, was not asked to plead to a fraud charge when he appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Tinashe Tashaya.

He was remanded in custody to July 10 for commencement of trial.

The court heard that sometime in February 2014, the complainant Stella Ngwenya of Famona, Bulawayo, was looking for a plot to buy.

She was advised by Simangaliso Muringi, acting as an estate agent, that Ncube was selling a vacant piece of land in Richmond.

Ngwenya contacted Ncube on his mobile phone and he confirmed he was selling a three-acre vacant plot for $9 000 per acre somewhere along Sebungwe Road in Richmond.

Muringi and one Dorcas Moyo accompanied Ngwenya to view the land.

Sometime in March 2014, Moyo and Muringi took Ngwenya to Cheda and Partners where they introduced her to a lawyer, Mlamuli Ncube.

The two said Mlamuli was asked by Ncube to transfer the property in question into his name from Malubeni Moyo.

On March 9, 2014, at Cheda and Partners, Ncube and Ngwenya allegedly signed a memorandum of agreement of sale for lot 15, 16 and 17 of remaining extent of subdivision number 13 of a farm in Trenance.

On April 9, 2014, Ngwenya allegedly paid Ncube $8 000 in the presence of Catherine Mkhwananzi, Moyo and Mlamuli.

He later received $21 300 towards the purchase of the same land from Ngwenya.

It was discovered that Ncube was not the owner of the plot and a case of fraud was reported leading to the accused’s arrest.