Michael Mashiri
A couple from Chitungwiza and two others who have been taken to court after stealing US$223 000 using a stolen Econet sim card.
Rumbidzai Tsongora, 24, Tranos Muzanenhamo, 26, customarily married Timothy Bvuramiti, 27, and Bradwell Shangwa, 24, all from Chitungwiza, appeared at the Harare Magistrates' Courts charged with fraud.
The State alleges that on July 9, 2024, Tsongora, together with Muzanenhamo, went to Econet Marondera agent one Tsitsi Munganasa and misrepresented herself as Ruth Machakadya through an identity card document.
She went on to request replacement of an Econet sim card number belonging to Machakadya.
After replacing the sim card, Tsongora handed over the sim card to Muzanenhamo, who went on to download a WhatsApp application and registered it using the said sim card belonging to Machakadya
The court heard that Muzanenhamo assumed control of Machakadya’s WhatsApp.
He went on to advertise that he had US$5 000 to exchange with local currency ZWG, bank transfer in all WhatsApp groups and contacts of Machakadya.
Three complainants were deceived and transferred ZWG$68 000, ZWG$65 000 and ZWG$90 000 respectively into a CBZ bank account belonging to Goods Carrier Services Private Limited on instructions of Muzanenhamo.
Bvuramiti was allegedly responsible for collecting the stolen funds from a street money changer whilst Shangwa was responsible for fraudulently harvesting details of would-be victims and kept them in a diary which was recovered from his room when he was arrested.
As a result, the value that was allegedly defrauded was ZWG$223 000.
On July 16, 2024, the court was told that a team of police officers from Homicide Harare were informed on the whereabouts of the accused persons who had sought refuge at a house in Chitungwiza.
They allegedly made searches in the house leading to the recovery to the recovery of 30 x unused Econet sim cards, 36 x used Econet sim cards, unused Net One sim cards, 4 x used Net One sim cards, 4 x Telecel sim cards, Omari bank credit cards, when the accused are not employed by the network providers.
The police also recovered a Toyota Hiace, which Tsongora and Muzanenhamo bought using part of the stolen money.
The State alleges that in buying Toyota Hiace using stolen funds, they tried to disguise the source of the funds.
The recovered motor vehicle was paid US$6 000 to its registered owner.
They were remanded in custody
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