Civil servant defrauded US$716 in stop order scam

Zim Now Writer

A KUWADZANA man, Wylie Ligomeka, 41, was yesterday remanded out of custody to April 20 on $50 000 bail after appearing before Harare magistrate Dennis Mangosi to answer to charges of defrauding a civil servant.

Ligomeka had claimed that he had a company that could issue civil servants with loans.

Allegations are that on December 28, 2022, Ligomeka and his accomplice, Robson Kaombe, misrepresented facts to Chirima Masaire, that he had a company, Tatalita Investments, which gives loans to civil servants.

Masaire said he wanted a US$700 loan to be repaid over a period of nine months with interest.

He was asked to supply his full names, surnames, addresses, employee code number, national registration number and cell phone number for use to apply for the loan.

The accused forged application forms and used the complainant's particulars to submit stop order deductions at FBC Bank.

Ligomeka purported that Masaire had acquired a laptop valued at US$370 from Tatalita Investments and the payment for that laptop was to be done through monthly stop order deductions of US$59-73 from the complainant's salary over a period of 12 months.

The first deduction of US$59-73 was effected from Masaire's February 2023's salary although he had not received the loan from Ligomeka. He also did not receive any laptop either.

He was prejudiced of his US$716.76 which was deducted from his earnings.