Prophet Passion Java’s sister faces time in jail after being convicted of US$120,000 fraud

Passion Java’s sister Mavis Madzivanzira faces spending time in prison after she was convicted of nine counts of fraud involving US$120,000.

She has been in remand prison, for the final stages of her trial, after she missed some court sessions.

Prophet Java has already made it clear that his sister’s legal troubles have nothing to do with him.

However, many have been quick to question whether Madzivanzira’s troubles can be linked to Java’s declaration that this is the year of arrests, which he called ‘Gore Rekungangurwa.’

Mavis, and her accomplice Pauline Gutsa, were convicted after a full trial by Harare regional magistrate Feresi Chakanyuka.

The pair was being charged together with Harare lawyer Proud Mutuso who was cleared of all wrongdoing.

Magistrate Chakanyuka said the State failed to prove anything at all with regards to Mutuso’s links to the crime given that he was in South Sudan at the time the crimes were committed

Java and Gutsa are expected in court tomorrow for pre-sentence hearing and sentencing.

Prosecutor Oscar Madhume proved that the pair sold nine non-existent stands to Farai Chikiwa, Naledi Maunganidze and Fortune Rukara, worth US$119 000.

The pair are co-directors of Segimel Investments which is said to be in the business of buying and selling stands.

The victims discovered that they had been duped after verifications with the City of Harare showed that the stands were not in the local authority’s database.

In September 2019, Chikuwa was introduced to Gutsa and Madzivanzira and the pair misrepresented that they were selling stands in Milton Park, Vainona, Logan Park and Gunhill.

They produced ‘Harare City Council site plans’ for the proposed subdivision of the stands and, acting on the misrepresentation, Chikuwa – who is a director of two construction companies – decided to buy three stands in Milton Park, which were going for US$15,000 each.

It is the State’s case that she bought six more stands, on her own behalf, and for Maunganidze in Vainona and Logan Park valued at US$64,000.

Chikuwa paid a total of US$97,450 as deposit for the nine stands into the pair’s attorney’s trust account.

Gutsa promised to deliver offer letters but nothing materialised, the court heard.

Chikuwa approached the City of Harare to confirm the status of the stands and was told they were non-existent in their database.

This prompted her to report the matter to the police. Chikuwa lost US$97,450.

On the other count, on June 19, 2019, Rukara was looking for a residential stand and he was referred to Gutsa and Madzivanzira, who confirmed they had stands for sale.

Rukara settled for a Greendale stand, which was being sold for US$35,000.

He negotiated for a reduction to US$20,000 since the stand had no title deeds.

Gutsa and Madzivanzira then approached a lawyer, who assisted by drafting an agreement of sale, and Rukara deposited US$20,000 into the lawyer’s trust account.

As per their agreement, he was supposed to sign for the release of the funds to Gutsa and Madzivanzira, after having been given the deed of cession and offer letter.

However, when Rukara visited the Greendale District Office, the court heard, he was told it was not a residential stand.

Rukara failed to get his money back as the duo had already taken the money from the trust account and disappeared. *_-H-Metro_*