KWEKWE — A MDC-T councillor facing three counts of fraud has been remanded in custody to November 11 after the State opposed bail.
Johannes Ngozo (48), accused of defrauding three home seekers had his initial plea of guilty on the first count overturned by provincial magistrate Tendai Mahwe after he claimed he returned the money having failed to secure the stands for the home seekers.
He had initially pleaded guilty to taking $2 500 from Paul Malaba claiming he would facilitate his acquisition of a residential stand, but denied having converted the money to his own use, which prompted the magistrate to overturn the plea.
The Ward 11 councillor, accused of having fleeced Danson Maruma of $1 800 and Aribino Nicholas of $900 between April and July, admitted to taking money from the prospective home owners with the intention of seeking stands for them from the local authority, where he chairs the Housing and Community Services Committee.
Ngozo, however, claimed he did not benefit from the money as he had returned the funds.
