The ManicaPost
Tendai Gukutikwa
TWO Mutare men who allegedly masqueraded as lawyers and duped an unsuspecting local businessman of $6 421 have been arraigned before the courts.
George Rutsvara (44) and Knowledge Panganayi (33) denied the charges of defrauding the director of Kiran Haulage Trucks, Kiran Soma of $6 421 when they appeared before Mutare magistrate Mrs Sekai Chiundura.
Pending their bail application, the pair was remanded in custody to January 28, 2016.
Representing the pair was Mutare lawyer Mr Chris Ndhlovu of Gonese and Ndlovu Legal Practitioners, as Mr Fletcher Karombe prosecuted.
It was alleged that sometime in 2013, Rutsvara and Panganayi who co-own Shield Legal Aid Society Mutare approached Soma at his workplace and misrepresented that they were Shield Legal Aid Society lawyers and that if he joined them he would be represented in any civil and criminal matters.
“Soma joined the Shield Legal Aid Society and entered into an agreement where he was to pay $50 as monthly subscriptions and in return he would be offered legal representation for any case.
“In November 2014, Soma engaged the pair to assist him settle a $10 771 debt which he owed Zuva Petroleum and through their negotiations a payment plan was finally made through Moyo and Jera Legal Practitioners who were representing Zuva Petroleum,” said Karombe.
It is alleged that by March 2015, Soma had paid $5 913,28 to Zuva Petroleum and when he defaulted payment with an outstanding $4 859, his haulage truck was attached by the messenger of Court.
He approached Rutsvara and Panganayi who promised to settle the matter with Zuva Petroleum.
The pair was later given money amounting to $6 421 by Soma on different occasions as they had promised to settle his debt for him as his legal practitioners.
Of the $6 421 nothing was recovered.
In his bail application however, Mr Ndlovu said that Soma knew clearly that the pair were not lawyers but professionals whom he paid monthly installments and money for onward transmissions to his own creditors.
