HARARE regional magistrate Francis Mapfumo yesterday issued a warrant of arrest for a suspected $29 million estate fraudster.
Tendai Jemwa, who allegedly duped his brother-in-law Thomas Masango, was supposed to come for a judgment, but failed to show up in court yesterday.
Masango is accusing Jemwa of unlawfully removing him from the property which they bought together sometime in 2007.
During the previous court sitting, Masango told the court that all the agreements they made from the sourcing of funds and the purchasing of the property was all verbal and he has no paperwork to corroborate his claims.
The court also heard that they have a lot of businesses they did together with Jemwa and at some point in time he that lied papers were stolen to conceal some evidence.
Masango also stressed that he got to know about Jemwa’s alleged fraudulent activities sometime last year and he had no option but to report to the police, leading to Jemwa’s arrest.
Prosecutor Ephraim Zinyandu alleges that sometime in 2007, Masango entered into various verbal agreements with Jemwa where they would be partners in some business ventures.
During the business partnership they acquired properties and amongst the properties is number 58 Spitzkop, Snake Park, Harare.
Both parties allegedly bought the property from Charles Zinto and they contributed a purchase price of $29 000 000.
Zinto allegedly intimated to the parties that he had bought the property from Jeremiah Chamba as indicated on title deed number 10146/89 pending transfer to himself.
“By the time the parties bought the property from Zinto, it had not yet been transferred into Zinto’s name and it was still holding Chamba’s title deed, number 10146/89.
“During the transaction Zinto gave both parties his own agreement of sale together with the one he entered with Chamba.
“Both parties bought the property with the intention to register it into Ten Jem Consultants (Pvt) Ltd being a company owned by Jemwa. To that extent, Masango agreed with Jemwa that before, upon or immediately after the transfer of the property is made into Ten Jem Consultants (Pvt) Ltd, he was going to be made 50 percent shareholder and director of Ten Jem Consultants (Pvt) Ltd in ratification of their earlier agreement,” the State alleges.
The court heard that sometime in 2012 Jemwa allegedly defrauded Masango of the ownership of the property, by secretly collecting the file containing all transfer documents and agreements from their lawyer without his knowledge and consent.
Rutendo Ngara
SENIOR STAFF WRITER