Fake magician dupes friend, promised US$300,000 bu...

Fake magician dupes friend, promised US$300,000 but delivered empty box

Zim Now

A Harare man, Nyasha Masoka, has been left empty-handed after a botched attempt to magically multiply his US$100,000. The man he trusted, Jean-Piere Kingombe, 49, from Congo Brazzaville, allegedly promised to triple the money but delivered nothing but a box full of paper.

Kingombe, alongside his accomplices identified as James Munetsi, Kamupro and Isaac (all at large), convinced Masoka through his friend Munetsi that they possessed magical powers to multiply cash.

According to the state, the group conducted a "test run" in December 2023, turning US$10 into US$30 to win Masoka's trust. This seemingly convincing trick led him to believe in their abilities and he agreed to invest a larger sum, hoping to boost his business.

Masoka, believing Munetsi's vouching for his accomplices, handed over US$100,000 with the promise of it multiplying to US$300,000. Kingombe then wrapped the cash with "pieces of black paper and some unknown white substance" before placing it in a box he called an "incubator." The court heard that inside the box, he cleverly replaced the money with a similar-sized bunch of paper.

After a pre-determined "incubation period," Kingombe retrieved the bundle from the box and instructed Masoka not to open it for 24 hours. Masoka, following the instructions, waited a day before finally checking the box, only to discover he had been swindled.

Realizing the jig was up, Kingombe reportedly fled to Mutare to evade capture.

Harare provincial magistrate Dennis Mangosi denied bail for Kingombe, citing his flight risk as a foreigner and a previous fraud case from 2009. The case has been remanded to July 2nd while a manhunt continues for the remaining accomplices.