A PROMINENT Bulawayo-based lawyer Vuyile Jamela Mpofu, formerly of VJ Mpofu and Associates, is having sleepless nights over a 2019 fraud case even after being acquitted at the close of the State case.
Mpofu (56), of Queens Park, and Mayor Kazingizi (41), of Cowdray Park, initially appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Jeconiah Ncube facing four counts of fraud.
However, Mpofu was on July 8 this year found not guilty and acquitted by Bulawayo magistrate Shepherd Mjanja at the close of the State case.
The case had been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and failure by some State witnesses to attend court.
In an interview with Southern Eye Weekender, Mpofu said the case was blocking his business ventures.
He lamented that any business proposal leads to potential partners going online to extract stories on his arrest and trial case before ditching him.
Narrating his ordeal, Mpofu said imposters posing as sellers of immovable property, having been referred by serial fraudster Sethukani Ncube, visited his law firm offices in late 2019, requesting him to do agreements of sale.
“I did the agreements. The imposters tendered in fake identity particulars and council agreements as proof of ownership.
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“The buyers went on to build structures on the vacant stands, only to be informed by the true owners of the (land that they had been involved in) fraudulent transaction,” Mpofu said.
“I was arrested on allegations of being in a syndicate with these imposters. I was acquitted after a trial. The trial confirmed that I was unaware of the fraudulent activities by the imposters who were pretending to be owners of the property being sold.”
He said he was conducting his duties innocently as a lawyer who had been instructed to draft agreements of sale.
He said the IDs tendered were seemingly genuine and no one could suspect that they were fake, a fact confirmed by the investigating officer in the case.
“Sethukani Ncube, who has other outstanding fraud cases before the courts, was the mastermind behind these criminal activities. He was, subsequently, found guilty and given a custodial sentence,” Mpofu said.
“My name was soiled and continues to be soiled because the original story is still online. I have retired from legal service and I am now into community development and church ministry.”
He said as a result of the case, which was widely covered in the media, but without the publication of his acquittal, the case was a stumbling block to his business ventures.
Allegations were that Mpofu and Kazingizi used fake copies of identity cards to make fictitious agreements of sale between land owners and the Bulawayo City Council and, in turn, facilitate the sale of the stands to unsuspecting homeseekers.
It was alleged that in September 2019 at Charter House in Bulawayo, Mpofu and Kazingizi misrepresented to Rumbidzai Chimbunde that Khulumani Mpofu was selling residential stand number 13560 in Pumula South.
It was alleged that the two introduced Chimbunde to an imposter, who was paid R56 100 for the stand.
It was further alleged that the two again duped Linah Takura of R60 000 by making her pay yet another imposter after purporting that Judith Moyo was selling residential stand number 12239 in Pumula South.
The court heard that using the same modus operandi, in August they again misrepresented to Angela Chikanya that Nomsa Sibanda was selling residential stand number 5343 in Emganwini and Chikanya paid R40 000 for it.
It was alleged that their next target was Douglas Tizirai, whom they told that Khumbulani Gatsheni was selling a residential stand in Emganwini, for which he paid R60 000.
Reports filed by the complainants to the police led to their arrest.
