Former Alouvine Investments Private Limited company director, Rudo Sarudzayi Mapfumo, allegedly defrauded deputy Minister of Health and Child Care Dr John Mangwiro of money after she resold a property she had sold him sometime in 2012 without his knowledge.
Mapfumo is said to have resold stand No 16911D Old SPCA Complex along Seke Road to Funwell Zvenyika after initially selling it to Dr Mangwiro for US$38 855.
She also allegedly later forged the signature of a law firm’s secretary on a notice for set down of trial to earned herself a default judgment that allowed her to evict Dr Mangwiro from the property.
Mapfumo is expected to appear in court on October 24 on fraud and forgery charges.
Circumstances leading to her arrest are that sometime in 2012, Dr Mangwiro bought Alouvine Investments Pvt Ltd, which owned stand No 16911D Old SPCA Complex along Seke Road in Harare from Mapfumo for US$38 855.
They then agreed that Dr Mangwiro gives Mapfumo a Nissan double cab valued at US$6000, a bull and US$6 000.
It is said that they also agreed that Dr Mangwiro would settle Alouvine Investment’s outstanding ZESA bills of US$5 171.28 and US$10 905 to City of Harare.
After making full payment, Dr Mangwiro occupied the premises and built a bay with four compartments for hardware, a butchery, cold room, bathing room, toilet, a two roomed staff quarters, steel shed and a block of offices.
When Dr Mangwiro was in the process of changing ownership of the property, Mapfumo allegedly sold the same property to Funwell Zvenyika.
Upon hearing of the sale, Dr Mangwiro attempted to engage Mapfumo but to no avail, it is said.
It then prompted him to engaged the services of Mbidzo, Muchadehama and Makoni Legal Practitioners to handle the matter.
In 2016 Mapfumo allegedly applied for an eviction order at the Harare Civil Court against Dr Mangwiro for him to vacate the property saying he had failed to clear outstanding bills at City of Harare.
On October 10, 2016, Mapfumo allegedly forged the signature of Rudo Kurebgasekwa, who was a Legal Clerk at Mbidzo, Muchadehama and Makoni Legal Practitioners, to appear as if she had received the Notice of Set Down for trial on behalf of Dr Mangwiro.
Mapfumo then allegedly took the Notice of Set Down for trial with Kurebgasekwa’s forged signature to the Harare Civil Court and presented it as a return of service.
Resultantly, a default judgment ordering Dr Mangwiro to vacate Old SPCA Complex was granted, since he had failed to attend the hearing.
On April 3, 2017, Dr Mangwiro was evicted from the property by the Messenger of Court.
He later learnt that Mapfumo had forged Kurebgasekwa’s signature on the Notice of Set Down for trial and lodged a complaint with the police leading to her arrest.
Dr Mangwiro is said to have been defrauded on US$100 000 in the transaction.
-State Media