Daughter of Late Air Chief Marshal Perrance Shiri Acquitted of Fraud Charges

Harare, Zimbabwe–Stephanie Rufaro Shiri, the daughter of the late national hero Air Chief Marshal Perrance Shiri (Rtd), has been acquitted of charges of fraud and forging a birth certificate. The ruling, delivered by Chief Magistrate Mrs. Faith Mushure last Friday, came after the State failed to substantiate its allegations against Stephanie’s “half-sister,” Stephan Tanaka Musvamhiri.

The Chief Magistrate concluded the State’s case, represented by Ms. Ruvimbo Matyatya, was insufficient in proving that Ms. Musvamhiri had fraudulently altered her birth certificate or DNA test results to claim a share of the late Air Chief Marshal’s estate. “The State failed to give evidence that the accused had entered her name through fraudulent means to the executor,” Mrs. Mushure stated, highlighting the absence of crucial testimony from the executor of the estate.

Regarding the alleged forgery of the birth certificate, the Chief Magistrate noted that Ms. Musvamhiri could not be held responsible for discrepancies in addresses, as these were added by her maternal grandmother during her childhood. Additionally, the State’s failure to bring forward a witness from Global DNA left the allegation of fake DNA results unsubstantiated, affirming Ms. Musvamhiri as the biological daughter of Air Chief Marshal Shiri.

The background of the case involves Stephanie Rufaro Shiri bringing charges against Ms. Musvamhiri, alleging fraudulent activities that could have prejudiced the beneficiaries of the estate to the tune of US$124,663. In a second charge, it was claimed that Ms. Musvamhiri provided a false address when replacing her lost birth certificate.

Ms. Musvamhiri, defended by lawyer Mr. Arshiel Mugiya, denied these allegations, asserting that Stephanie Rufaro Shiri was attempting to disinherit other biological children of the late Air Chief Marshal. The defense also mentioned the previous arrest of another sibling, Tawanda Zulu, as part of these efforts.

This acquittal marks a crucial development in the legal battles surrounding the estate of the late Air Chief Marshal Perrance Shiri, shining a light on the complexities and challenges within family inheritance disputes. The outcome has significant implications for the Shiri family and sets a precedent in cases of estate inheritance in Zimbabwe.- Agencies