BY RICHARD MUPONDE
A ZIMBABWE Assemblies of God-Africa (Zaoga) church elder and businessman, Lovemore Kutamahufa, has been taken to court after he allegedly fraudulently used his business partner’s property title deeds to secure a $75 000 loan from a commercial bank, which he later failed to settle.
Kutamahufa, the proprietor of Oman Obrie Private Limited, was supposed to appear before Bulawayo magistrate Sithembiso Ncube on Tuesday for trial, where he is jointly charged with his wife, Acsilia Masvotwa Kutamahufa, but he failed to turn up as he was said to be in Dubai.
His absence prompted prosecutor Thobekani Nyathi to seek postponement of trial to a later date, so that the police could carry out further investigations. However, his wife Acsilia was released on summons.
Charges against Kutamahufa are that on June 5, 2013 he went to FBC Bank in Bulawayo and used his business partner, Lungisani Ncube’s title deeds for two town houses to acquire the loan. He allegedly presented a forged power of attorney and a deed of hypothecation as if Ncube had consented to the agreement with the bank and submitted the documents as surety for the loan for his company, Oman Obrie Private Limited. Kutamahufa allegedly took advantage of Ncube’s absence, as he was reportedly admitted at a South African hospital. As a result of his alleged misrepresentation, the bank gave him the loan, which he converted to personal use. The matter came to light after Kutamahufa defaulted on servicing the loan and the bank phoned Ncube, reminding him on the issue and imminent sale of his property.
When Ncube came back to Zimbabwe, he investigated the matter and got to know that Kutamahufa had formed a company in which he made him a director without his knowledge. Kutamahufa had also allegedly forged Ncube’s signature on the documents to the loan.
Ncube made a police report and the matter was treated as a summons case.
