FORMER Big Brother Africa winner Wendall Parson paid a $2 000 bribe to an Alliance Insurance assessor through his brother William so that he could speed up the fraudulent claim, Harare magistrate Elisha Makomo heard yesterday.
BY PHILLIP CHIDAVAENZI
The insurance assessor, Webber Sithole — who is the State’s second witness in Wendall and William’s trial over a $23 000 fraud — told the court that the money was also meant to silence him.
The two brothers, who are represented by Harare lawyer Harrison Nkomo are facing charges of fraud involving over $23 000 in a suspected car insurance scam. Sithole said he met William and their mother Gillian Jackson at a food outlet along Samora Machel Avenue.
He then took the money and later surrendered it to his boss identified as Teddy Nyamurera.
Wendall and William’s lawyer, Harrison Nkomo, however, accused Sithole of making frequent calls to William pressuring him for the money saying if he failed to pay up he would cause his arrest.
Sithole argued that his duty was to call clients who would have been involved in accidents and make appointments as part of the investigations into claims made.
He disputed the assertion that he was after a bribe, arguing that if that was the case, then he would not have surrendered the money to his boss.
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Nkomo argued that Sithole only surrendered the money to his boss because William had demanded a receipt as confirmation of payment.
Sithole said the claim came through an insurance agent so there was no way he would be paid money which could only be paid to Alliance or its broker. He said he could not receipt the money because he knew it was “filthy lucre”.
Nkomo then produced a document he said William was forced to sign under duress indicating he had loaned Sithole the money.
Sithole, however, disowned the document which he said was a forgery and said there was no way he could be loaned money by William because they were strangers.
The State, through prosecutor Constance Ngombengombe objected to the production of the document, arguing the State was not aware of its existence. Trial continues on September 23.
