A Kwekwe couple, which was wrongly convicted by magistrate Samukelisiwe Gumbo for fraud, has been exonerated and freed by the Bulawayo High Court.
Judge Ngoni Nduna set aside the proceedings and quashed the conviction.
The state had alleged that Unity Murenga (37) and her husband, Farai Marengu (42), defrauded Unity’s father, Felix Kobeti Magomo, of US$102 374.
A retired teacher based in the UK, Felix had sent the money to the couple during Covid-19 travel restrictions to purchase and develop a residential stand in Kwekwe on his behalf.
The couple bought Stand 7082 in Hillandale, but registered it in their own names instead of Felix’s.
They maintained the deception by sending him development updates.
The scheme unravelled when Felix returned to Zimbabwe in 2021 and discovered the true ownership.
After a failed agreement to place the property into a trust, the couple reneged, leading Felix to report the matter to the police in 2022.
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The High Court’s order to quash the case under CRB 1411-12 means the conviction is overturned and the couple is now free.
