A MARONDERA Municipality accountant yesterday appeared before a Harare magistrate charged with duping Zimbabwe’s deputy ambassador to Namibia of US$40 000.
Harare regional magistrate Donald Ndirowei remanded the suspect, Tinashe Mungwena (38), out of custody to June 11 for routine remand.
The complainant is Cathrine Mauswa (38), who is employed by the Foreign Affairs ministry as the deputy ambassador to Namibia.
Prosecutor Lancelot Mutsokoti said sometime in 2022, Mauswa’s late husband Never Besa acquired a Toyota Fortuner vehicle from High Range Land Developers in Harare.
Mungwena allegedly borrowed the vehicle from Besa at an unknown date on condition that he would return it.
On March 7, 2024, Mauswa’s husband was involved in a fatal road accident in Victoria Falls.
At that time, Mungwena was still in possession of the vehicle in question.
After the funeral, Mauswa requested Mungwena to return the motor vehicle as it was part of her late husband’s estate.
According to court documents, Mungwena allegedly refused to return the motor vehicle saying he bought it from the deceased on September 8, 2023.
Mungwena said he had paid part of the US$40 000 purchase price. However, he failed to produce an agreement of sale.
This prompted Mauswa to report the matter to police.
On April 20, 2024, Mungwena surrendered himself to the police in Harare and the vehicle.