A former magistrate, Edith Kakuruwo, has been convicted of defrauding a land seeker of US$7,000 in a double allocation scam.
Kakuruwo was found guilty by Bindura magistrate Tinashe Ndokera, who remanded her in custody to 25 September for sentencing.
Prosecutor Carson Kundiona told the court that on 15 March 2023, Kakuruwo sold Stand Number 442, Chipindura Park, Bindura to complainant Pain Matarutse for US$7,000, with a formal agreement of sale signed.
However, less than a month later, on 1 April 2023, Kakuruwo resold the same stand to another buyer. The fraud was exposed in May 2023 when Matarutse attempted to develop the property and discovered that another individual was already constructing on the site.
Investigations confirmed that Kakuruwo had initiated a session agreement to transfer ownership to the second buyer despite the prior sale.
The complainant lost the entire US$7,000, and no recovery was made.
ALSO READ : Masvingo Man Killed After Refusing to Buy Beer
