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Zesa employee fakes own death, claims $70 000 from policy

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A ZESA employee in Mutare allegedly stage-managed his death and swindled Old Mutual of $70 000 in funeral benefits after murdering an unidentified man and disposing the body in a dam in July last year. David Garudzo is said to have acted in cahoots with Bernard and Brian Garudzo, Obert Chingaipe and Alex Mhlanga when he allegedly committed the offence. He allegedly burnt the deceased’s body in Mhlanga’s vehicle in a bid to conceal the victim’s identity. Garudzo allegedly sent his wife, Primrose Jecha to Old Mutual armed with a death certificate, policy document and a police traffic accident report and claimed $70 000 as benefits.

A ZESA employee in Mutare allegedly stage-managed his death and swindled Old Mutual of $70 000 in funeral benefits after murdering an unidentified man and disposing the body in a dam in July last year.

BY PAIDAMOYO MUZULU

David Garudzo is said to have acted in cahoots with Bernard and Brian Garudzo, Obert Chingaipe and Alex Mhlanga when he allegedly committed the offence.

He allegedly burnt the deceased’s body in Mhlanga’s vehicle in a bid to conceal the victim’s identity.

Garudzo allegedly sent his wife, Primrose Jecha to Old Mutual armed with a death certificate, policy document and a police traffic accident report and claimed $70 000 as benefits.

The alleged crime was discovered this month leading to Garudzo’s arrest at Fourth Street Bus Terminus in Harare. At the time of his arrest, Garudzo was found in possession of a 9mm Star pistol loaded with two rounds of ammunition, a medical aid card, national identity card and a passport.

Garudzo was yesterday taken to the Harare Magistrates’ Court where the police applied for his further detention, saying they wanted to carry out further investigations in the matter.

Magistrate Elijah Makomo granted the application. “The warrant of further detention is hereby granted until tomorrow when he should be brought to court,” Makomo ruled.

Prosecutor Sebastian Mutizirwa had told the court that the police needed to take the accused to Mutare for indications.

“The police want to take the accused to Mutare for indications as during their interrogation with the accused they were made to understand that the body of the deceased was buried at a hidden place in Mutare after the murder.”

The court heard Garudzo opened two Old Mutual Funeral Benefit Plans with a combined value of $70 000 between March and June last year and listed his wife and two minor children as beneficiaries in the event of his death.