City Football Academy owner faces 9th fraud count ...

City Football Academy owner faces 9th fraud count over US$8k after claiming to be Man City agent

Michael Mashiri

Zim Now Correspondent

The owner of City Football Academy has been arraigned before the courts accused of defrauding a complainant US$8 000, after claiming he was an agent for English topflight side, Manchester City Football Club.

Agripa Guti, 35, of Belvedere, appeared before magistrate Caroline Matanga facing fraud allegations.

This becomes the nine charge of fraud that Guti is appearing for at the Harare Magistrates’ Court.

The other eight cases are still pending while he is in custody and trial on this particular case is commencing on June 12.

The complainant in this matter is Peter Haukozi, who has a son Ian, who was supposed to be recruited.

The State, through prosecutor Bonface Musvaire, alleges that the incident occurred in August last year when Guti, who used to train the complainant’s son Ian and Phil Haukozi at his City Football Academy.

This was when he misrepresented to the complainant that he wanted to proceed to United Kingdom with his sons for trials with Manchester City Football Club.

As a result, Haukozi received an invitation letter purporting that his sons had been invited in United Kingdom and was made to pay US$8 000.

However, Guti allegedly only issued a receipt of US$6 000 and copies of receipts can be produced as evidence.

After discovering that he had been duped, Haukozi filed a police report.

In the outstanding similar fraud cases against Guti, the complainants only realised that they had been duped after they had travelled to Dubai where the trials were being held and were told they had fake invitations.