A Mufakose man who stands accused of duping prominent figures under the guise that he is the former Bulawayo judge, Justice Mafios accused Victor Matemadanda of paying of the police to investigate the matter in which he was duped.
The Deputy minister of Ministry of Defence, Matemadanda was testifying in court in a matter in which he was duped of $600 in a case of stolen identity and cyber crime which saw many prominent figures giving money to Tinashe Munhuweyi (36) believing that he was helping Justice Cheda who was stranded.
Matemadanda narrated how he had lost his money only to realise later that he had been duped.
During cross examination, Munhuweyi alleged that Matemadanda had paid off the officers who were handling the matter. He tried to exonerate himself saying he had not benefited anything from Matemadanda except for his services rendered through government.
The suspected conman is alleged to have targeted the elderly prominent figures like Matemadanda, Bubi legislator Richard Moyo (Zanu PF), Great Zimbabwe University professor Ben Siyakwazi of various amounts of money.
Allegations are that on September 17 last year, Munhuweyi contacted Matemadanda while purporting to be Justice Cheda and misrepresented that he had two trucks which had run out of fuel at Chirundu Border Post.
He allegedly requested for $600 to refuel the trucks and pay for other expenses.
Munhuweyi allegedly asked Matemadanda to transfer the money into a supplied Ecocash account and promised to repay the debt as soon as possible.
After the transaction went through, Munhuweyi allegedly became evasive.
Matemadanda later conducted his own investigations and discovered that he had been conned. He reported the matter at Harare Central Police Station.
Using the same modus operandi, Munhuweyi contacted a Great Zimbabwe University professor Ben Siyakwazi and lied that he was Justice Cheda and currently working in Namibia.
Munhuweyi indicated that he was in South Africa and seeking medical attention. He further told Siyakwazi that he was facing some serious problems and requested the complainant to assist his son, Christian Cheda, whom he alleged was studying at Makerere University in Uganda.
He alleged that his son’s vehicle had been confiscated by a Harare motor mechanic for failure to pay for repairs.
The court heard that Munhuweyi instructed Siyakwazi to transfer $400 into an Ecocash account registered in the name of Patience Muchenje.
He reportedly later claimed that his son had been involved in a road accident soon after collecting the vehicle from the mechanic and was admitted at Beatrice Hospital, prompting the complainant to send him additional money, bringing the total to $7 263.
On September 28, Siyakwazi’s friend visited Justice Cheda’s home in Bulawayo to inquire about the injured son, only to discover that they had been duped. Siyakwazi then reported the matter to the police.
Using the same modus operandi, Munhuweyi duped former High Court judge Justice Simpson Mutambanengwe’s son, Naboth, of $2 300. Bubi legislator Moyo lost $1 500 to Munhuweyi and Rudo Kariramombe lost $1 088. Nothing was recovered.
Patience Chimusaru appeared for the State.