The imprisonment of a Harare man has exposed the rot at the Central Vehicle Registry (CVR) after it emerged that he stole 267 700 Delta Corporation shares using a fraudulently acquired drivers licence and made off with $195 000.
Edgar Marisa (44) of Mufakose was on Thursday last week slapped with a six-year jail term after being convicted of fraud by regional magistrate Clever Tsikwa. He will however serve an effective four years after two years were suspended on condition of good behaviour and restitution respectively.
Marisa pleaded guilty to the offence and told the court that he obtained the counterfeit drivers licence from the CVR bearing his photograph, but with details of the owner of Delta Corporation shares Tongai Mukanganise.
Prosecutor Tracy Mundanga presented that sometime in November last year, Marisa allegedly acted in common purpose with Malvin Chidzonga, who is still at large, to swindle Mukanganise of his shares.
The court heard that the two fraudulently registered a Telecel line in Mukanganises name using the counterfeit drivers licence and approached the complainant in the matter, Corpserve Share Transfer Secretaries, who were the custodian of Mukanganises shares.
Marisa then misrepresented to an employee at Corpserve Share Transfer Secretaries, Pharaoh Lomazolo, that he was Mukanganise and produced the fake drivers licence to prove his identity. Marisa further lied to Lomazolo that he had lost his original share certificate hence he wanted a replacement.
The court heard Marisa was then asked to follow all the needed formalities in order to obtain a replacement of the lost certificate and he did so, following which he was issued with a new certificate on November 4 last year.
Armed with the fraudulent certificate, Marisa is said to have approached FBC Securities and instructed them to sell the shares, which were later sold at $195 000.
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The court heard that Marisa then instructed FBC to transfer the money into an Interfin account which he had fraudulently opened and withdrew $65 000.
The offence came to light when Mukanganise approached Kingdom Stockbrokers with the intention of selling his shares and was advised that his share certificate had been replaced and the shares sold through FBC.
The matter was reported to the police and investigations led to Marisas arrest after he was publicised in the Press as a wanted person.
