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Siblings fight over inherited property

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A 32-YEAR-OLD Harare man who allegedly sold an inherited family house behind his brother’s back yesterday appeared at the Harare Magistrates’ Court facing fraud charges and was remanded in custody to today for bail application.

A 32-YEAR-OLD Harare man who allegedly sold an inherited family house behind his brother’s back yesterday appeared at the Harare Magistrates’ Court facing fraud charges and was remanded in custody to today for bail application.

BY DESMOND CHINGARANDE

The suspect, Chido Eleanor Tsodzai, was not asked to plead when he appeared before Harare magistrate Barbara Chimboza.

The complainant in the matter, Tapiwa Tsodzai, and Chido are siblings whose parents, Justin Shepherdson and Mary Gladys Tsodzai, passed on in 2006 and 2007 respectively.

It is the State’s case that on May 15, 2015, Chido and Tapiwa formed and registered Empire Trust in which they both were endorsed as the trustees.

Chido is then said to have sold some of the inherited assets and used the proceeds to purchase a house in Sherwood, Harare, for $155 000 after which he registered the property in the name of Empire Trust.

The State alleges he thereafter hatched a plan to sell the house to Charles Mandiona for $110 000 without Tapiwa’s knowledge.

On August 2 last year, Chido is said to have tendered to Mandiona a fraudulent letter of resolution in respect of Empire Trust which had Tapiwa’s forged signature claiming they had held a meeting as Empire trustees to appoint Chido to represent the trust in all transactions involving the house.

The offence then came to light on August 16 last year when Tapiwa received information to the effect that Chido had applied for a capital tax gains certificate from Zimra in a bid to change ownership of the said house.

Linda Gadzikwa represented the State.