HARARE property developer Christopher Dickson, who last week appeared at the Harare Magistrates’ Court on charges of swindling a prospective buyer of $26 000, was back in court yesterday facing a similar charge involving $56 000. SENIOR COURT REPORTER
Dickson is the director of Ascend Properties.
Prosecutor Farai Gatsi told the court that Dickson was not a suitable candidate for bail since he was on bail pending appeal in another matter where he was slapped with a five-year jail term for fraud in 2011 and also had a pending fraud case involving six counts.
In respect of the current fraud charge, Dickson is alleged to have duped the complainant, whose name was not mentioned in court papers, and sold him a stand in Mandara low-density suburb which did not belong to him.
The State alleges that in March last year, the complainant instructed one Vusumuzi Mabhena to act on his behalf to acquire stand number 1003 in Mandara.
By virtue of the said instruction and power of attorney, Mabhena signed on behalf of the complainant an agreement of sale for the purchase of the stand from Dickson at $56 800.
The alleged agreement of sale, it is alleged, was facilitated by Godfrey Munyama of Spackles Properties and Estate Agency.
It is the State’s case that Dickson also gave Mabhena purported title deeds number 4860/2000 registered in favour of Interwork Enterprises.
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However, sometime in March last year the complainant went to check on his stand only to discover that the same stand was being developed by one Douglas Chimanikire who was already building his house.
It is the State’s contention that at the time of the said transaction, Dickson misrepresented to the complainant that he was the owner of the stand well knowing that the stand did not belong to him.
The matter was reported to the police, leading to his arrest.
In his application for bail however, Dickson denied duping the complainant and produced proof that he bought the stand in question from Interwork Enterprises.
He told provincial magistrate Tendai Mahwe that if there was any fraudulent activities done on the disputed stand, Interwork Enterprises should be answerable.
Bail ruling was deferred to Friday.
