By Simbarashe Sithole
A Life Embassy Ministries pastor from Mvurwi, who has been on the run for the past two years, was finally arrested and arraigned before a Guruve magistrate last week on charges of defrauding a church member of $800 in the name of blessing the money.
Themba Smart (32) of Lucknow Farm, Mvurwi, pleaded not guilty to the charge before magistrate Artwell Sanyatwe, who remanded him in custody to June 13.
The State alleges that sometime in June 2017, while at Mvurwi Community Hall, the man of cloth told complainant Jowell Chirenje (46) to give him the money he wanted to use to buy cattle so that it could be “blessed” and returned at the next Sunday service.
Chirenje complied and waited for his blessed money the next Sunday, but the pastor was never seen in the area again after relocating to an unknown place.
The complainant filed a police report and Smart was put on the police wanted list, leading to his arrest last week.
Carson Kundiona represented the State.
