Yeukai Karengezeka
Court Correspondent
A FREELANCE estate agent accused of being part of a syndicate that defrauded a home-seeker of US$75 000 in a residential stand scam has appeared in court.
Danai Paddington Mawire (37) appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Tapiwa Kuhudzai, facing charges of fraud.
He applied for bail and now awaits the court’s ruling.
According to the State, the alleged scam occurred in December 2024.
The complainant, whose name has not been disclosed, was searching for a residential stand to buy in Harare and its surrounding areas.
Mawire, along with his accomplices Mavis Java and Tinashe Maduza, who are already on remand at Harare Magistrates Court, and Tawanda Dendford Bondamakara, who is still at large, allegedly obtained the complainant’s information and offered them stand number 877, Quinnington Township of stand 163, Quinnington Township, Harare.
The syndicate used fraudulent documents purportedly issued by the City of Harare to support their claim of ownership, pricing the stand at US$75 000.
Mawire allegedly posed as a legitimate agent with the authority to sell the property. The scam was uncovered when the complainant approached the City of Harare to seek approval for building plans.
At this point, they were informed that the stand was not owned by the City of Harare but was privately owned.
When the complainant attempted to engage the accused persons, they allegedly became evasive, leading the complainant to report the matter to the police. This resulted in Mawire’s arrest.
The State alleges that the complainant suffered an actual financial loss of US$75 000 and nothing has been recovered.
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