(Last Updated on January 29, 2013 by Editor)
ZIMBABWE – A Chitungwiza man has been jailed to an effective 14 months for swindling six people of over US$2 000 by promising them a job in the President’s Office.
Khomani Jarzin Mbichani, 45, pleaded guilty to the allegations of fraud when he appeared before Harare magistrate Audrey Tarugarira.
For the first six counts, he was slapped with 18 months imprisonment before four months were set aside for five years on condition of good behaviour. A further four months was suspended on condition of restitution.
Allegations are that between August and September Mbichani approached the complainants and advised them that he was employed by the President’s office and was able to assist them to be recruited into the organisation.
He was given money, which he claimed was for processing their application forms. He further told them that they were going to be trained out of the country, in Dubai, Russia and Washington DC.
He further took them to the Harare International Airport for familiarisation and promised them that their recruitment was imminent.
He gave them spare keys, which he said were for their Msasa homestead. State counsel Leonella Chitanda told the court that Mbichani swindled a 60 year Seke woman, using the same office’s name, promising to recover the woman’s stolen door and facilitating her husband’s pension.
He was slapped with four months effective for swindling the old lady.