A ward co-ordinator under the Youth Development, Indigenisation and Empowerment ministry in Gokwe, appeared in court last Thursday charged with fraud after he allegedly sold a residential stand belonging to a council employee to an unsuspecting home seeker.
BY OUR STAFF REPORTER
Stephen Chipere (43) was not asked to plead to a $1 025 fraud case when he appeared before Gokwe resident magistrate Shepherd Mjanja for bail application.
The magistrate granted him $100 bail and remanded the case to December 8 for trial.
The court heard that on January 5, the complainant Fungai Kwangwari of Mapfungautsi suburb in Gokwe, met Chipere at the Gokwe Government Complex where Chipere later allegedly indicated he was selling a residential stand.
Chipere alleged that stand number 2065 at Mafungautsi was his and he wanted $600 for it.
After Kwangwari had paid the money, Chipere allegedly wrote an affidavit which was certified by a Kwekwe lawyer Tapera Sengweni.
The suspect later accompanied Kwangwari to the site, but allegedly failed to provide her with official documents to prove he genuinely owned the land.
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Sometime between March and September, Chipere allegedly visited Kwangwari demanding an additional $425, which he claimed was for the drawing of a plan and its approval.
Later, he allegedly changed and offered Kwangwari a new stand on which to build her house.
Kwangwari allegedly constructed the house up to window level.
A few days later she discovered that the incomplete house had been demolished by the Gokwe Town Council.
On inquiry, she was told the land belonged to a council clerk only identified as Rudo.
A report was made to the police, leading to Chipere’s arrest.
