Man loses US$18k in IDs, passports deal

Michael Mashiri

Two men have been taken to court on allegations of defrauding US$18 000 from a man who wanted Zimbabwean passport and National identification card.

Admire Matupire, 32, of Paal Farm and Godfrey Nyazika, of Southlea Park, appeared at the Harare Magistrates’ Courts charged with extortion.

They were ordered to deposit US$300 as bail.

The State said that in July 2023, the informant who is a South African but a Zimbabwean by descent wanted to acquire a Zimbabwean birth certificate, Zimbabwean national identity card and a Zimbabwean passport.

As a result, he went to the Registrar-General's office for assistance where he was asked to bring supporting documents for processing his application.

The informant told his acquaintance, one Tyrone Havner, about his predicament and he was in turn referred to Matupire as someone who could assist him.

Sometime later, informant met Matupire who promised to help him in acquiring the documents saying he had connections at the Registrar-General's office and charged him US$4 500 as facilitation fee.

The informant then met Matupire at Jameson Hotel and gave him US$1 000, which he said would give to Nyazika for the processing of the birth certificate.

On different dates and time, the informant gave Matupire USD$2 500 for the processing of a Zimbabwean identity card.

In bid to extort more money from the informant, the accused told the informant that his surname was politically affiliated hence there was need for another US$800 to clear informant’s name at court.

Due to the pressure exerted on him, the informant gave Matupire the said amount of US$800.

Matupire further demanded and was given US$750 which he said was to be paid to Home Affairs Department in South Africa.

After receiving the money, Matupire would tell informant that he was to hand it over to Nyazika.

While complainant was waiting for the documents, the accused would demand various amounts of money saying he wanted to give to Nyazika and his colleagues at the Registrar-General's office for fast tracking of the birth certificate and the national identity card.

Part of the money was given to Matupire in cash and sometimes through mobile money transfers.

The informant lost a total of US$18 000.

After that, Matupire later handed over to the informant a Zimbabwean birth certificate and Zimbabwean national identity card.

The State alleges that sometime early January 2024, the informant wanted to apply for a Zimbabwean passport and he approached the two accused persons who told him that his ID was not appearing in the system for him to be able to process the passport.

As a result, they demanded US$120 which was allegedly meant facilitate the process.

Due to pressure exerted on him, informant made a report to the police on January 24, 2024, which resulted in a trap being set by CID Police Anti-Corruption Unit.

On the same date at around 1130 hours, the informant then teamed up with the CID detectives from Police Anti- Corruption Unit.

Matupire was then lured to Jameson Hotel, their usual meeting point by the informant and arrested by detectives from CID Police Anti-Corruption Unit while seated at the back seat in informant's car upon receiving the trap money of US$120.

Matupire, then implicated Nyazika as the one whom he was dealing with in processing the informant’s documents and giving him informants money.

He then lead the detectives to the arrest of Nyazika near the Registrar-General's office along Leopold Takawira Street.

As a result, the value stolen was US$18 000.