Land baron shoots self dead on court judgement day

Michael Mashiri

A Harare man convicted of land theft after selling land belonging to his employer along with two accomplices shot himself dead last week on the day he was supposed to receive his sentencing.

Amos Kagona had been comvicted together with Saymods Mutakura and Jacob Muyambo. The duo have since been sentenced to 18 years each in jail for swindling Delatfin Civil Engineering US$3 million.

The trio sold commonage stands allocated to the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing by Delatfin.

The State prosecutor, Tafara Chirambira proved that from August 2015, to March 2018, Muyambo, Kagona and Mutakura teamed up to defraud Delatfin Civil Engineering.

The three would sell the stands and Wasara would prepare fake agreements of sale purporting that the stands in question would have been sold by Muyambo in his capacity as the finance manager, approving the sale and indicating that Kagona and Mutakura had paid.

The court heard that they would then share the proceeds, while they were fully aware that these stands were to be disposed off at a later stage and that their employer would not notice at the time.

In his sentencing, Magistrate Stanford Mambanje ruled that the stands were to be returned to Delatfin.

"Delatfin shall assume ownership of the stands.

“The evidence by the State was credible and resulted in the accused persons being convicted,” he said.

He also said there was breach of trust in the case.

Mambanje first convicted and sentenced Mutakura and Muyambo to 20 years in prison suspending 2 years on condition of good behavior as the two accused were first time offenders.