HARARE, Apr. 16 (NewsDay Live) – A Harare magistrate has acquitted insurance broker Reality Njabulo Chuma at the close of the State’s case in a US$90 000 Old Mutual fraud matter.
Magistrate Lisa Mutendereki ruled that the State had failed to present sufficient evidence to place Chuma on his defence.
Chuma had been jointly charged with Henrics Providence Dhonga (30), Munyaradzi Ramewa and Llyod Makuzva (45), who were all placed on their defence. The three face two counts of fraud and illegal possession of articles for criminal use.
The State alleges that in May 2022, Ramewa approached Dhonga seeking compensation for a vehicle involved in an earlier accident and parked at a house in Mutare. The pair allegedly devised a plan to defraud Old Mutual Insurance Company of US$90 000.
On August 14, 2022, Dhonga and Makuzva allegedly travelled to Mutare, where they met Ramewa and staged a single-vehicle accident involving a VW Touareg. The incident was reportedly filed with police, and the vehicle was towed by Road Angels.
On September 20, 2022, the accused allegedly submitted a fraudulent insurance claim through Chuma, an employee of Bright Insurance Brokers (Pvt) Ltd, claiming extensive damage to the vehicle’s front, suspension, engine and gearbox.
Old Mutual processed the US$90 000 claim based on the submissions.
However, the alleged fraud was uncovered after discrepancies emerged between photographs submitted by the accused and those provided by Road Angels from the scene.
Further investigations allegedly linked Dhonga, a director at Panel Tech Motors, to additional insurance fraud cases.
Police later searched his Mazda CX-5 (registration AFF 1002) on December 10, 2022, recovering a satchel containing 11 homemade police stamps for stations in Chitungwiza, Chegutu, Harare, Marondera and Norton.
Proceedings continue against the remaining three accused.