The trial of a group of businessmen, including Harare-based lawyer Tinofara Hove, is set to commence on March 10. The individuals are facing allegations of fraud involving a low-density residential stand valued at US$97,000.
Among the accused are Prosper Bizwork, Samson Mushayi, Erick Ndamuka Dube, Tedious Marufu, Amos Chisvo, and Patience Nhope. The group made their court appearance before Magistrate Tilda Mazhande.
According to the prosecution, the alleged scam took place in 2023 and targeted businessman Octavious Chikonyora and his wife, Previous Danda. The couple, who own nightclubs under the Paramount brand, reportedly fell victim to an elaborate scheme to illegally sell their stand, identified as 589 Rietfontein Township of Lot 15 Rietfontein, Harare.
The State asserts that Bizwork orchestrated the fraudulent operation, enlisting Nhope and an associate known only as Collen to pose as the legitimate owners of the property. To support their deception, the suspects allegedly forged identification documents in the names of Danda and Chikonyora.
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Marufu was then brought into the scheme and was tasked with finding a real estate agent to facilitate the sale. He subsequently introduced Chisvo and Ndamuka as intermediaries.
Investigations revealed that Samson Mushayi, formerly a conveyancing clerk at Hove’s law firm, TK Hove and Partners, played a key role in fabricating a duplicate title deed, which was later used to transfer the property to unsuspecting buyers.
It is alleged that Dube, operating under the alias Raphael Dube, advertised the stand through a marketing firm known as Rockwell Land Developers, setting the price at US$92,000.
Interested buyers, Max Merit Msutu and Tario Chingaya, engaged Dube and were introduced to the supposed owners.
Dube assured the buyers that the conveyancing process would be exclusively handled by TK Hove and Partners, further convincing them of the legitimacy of the transaction. The buyers ultimately paid US$97,500 in two installments, with Mushayi acknowledging receipt of the payments.
Further investigations uncovered that TK Hove and Partners never possessed the original title deed for the stand, as a counterfeit document had been created to facilitate the fraudulent sale.
