A 28-year-old man who duped businessman Philip Chiyangwa’s daughter, Cherish Natasha Chiyangwa of £18 000 in a botched mining investment deal, was spared jail after the court ordered him to pay back the money.
Willard Munyaradzi Kachere was initially jailed for two years when he appeared before Harare magistrate Mrs Judith Taruvinga.
The two years were suspended on condition that he pays back US$14 000 on or before February 20 next year.
Kachere had denied the charges, saying he never entered into any agreement with Cherish and that the money had not been sent to him, but to Jamie Farai Muswibe.
He also disputed the amount involved.
“She entered into a business transaction with Jamie Farai Muswibe where in they shared all the risks, profits and losses associated with running a business enterprise,” said Kachere.
Cherish, in her testimony, told the court that Kachere approached her seeking US$20 000 as capital which was to be invested in mining.
She said Kachere promised her that they would earn US$2 000 in monthly profits.
Mr Tapiwanashe Zvidzai, prosecuting, had it that sometime in April last year, Kachere approached Cherish saying he wanted partners to invest in the mining business.
Kachere then told her that if she invested US$20 000 in the deal, they would get US$2 000 in profits every month.
Cherish then engaged her business partner Muswibe, who then sent Kachere £18 310 through World Remit.
Kachere received the money and later failed to give Cherish the promised monthly profits, which prompted Muswibe to return into the country to establish why he was failing to remit the profits as agreed.
Muswibe then realised that Kachere had not used the money as agreed, which forced Cherish to lodge a complaint with the police.
Source: The Herald