The ManicaPost
Abel Zhakata Senior Reporter
A 35-YEAR-OLD Mutare man who recorded several video clips each time he slept with his girlfriend and tried to use that material to extort thousands of dollars from the woman after they broke up has been arrested by the police on charges of extortion and possession of pornographic material.
The suspect Lazarus Masango, of Number 7023, Area 16, Dangamvura was nabbed by detectives after his ex-girlfriend Patricia Tsindi, made a report to the police and a trap was set.
Masango, who claimed to be a South African-based doctor, was arrested when he attempted to receive the $1000 payment he had demanded for him not to post the videos on social media.
Manicaland deputy police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Luxon Chananda confirmed the case.
“Circumstances are that the accused person fell in love with the complainant but they later broke up. However, during the love affair the accused person recorded several nude videos and took pictures each time they slept together.
“On February 9, the suspect sent some messages to the complainant demanding $1000 as payment for him not to post the videos and pictures on social media. He gave the complainant a February 12 deadline, demanding that he be paid the amount by 2pm on that date,” said Ass Insp Chananda.
His ex-girlfriend ran around looking for the money, but only managed to raise $200.
“She informed the suspect that she had only managed to raise $200 but the accused person told her that the amount was too little. However, he gave her another condition that if she was going to give him $200 he was going to sleep with her again on 100 occasions forthwith on a daily basis to compensate for the $800 short fall.
“Faced with such a difficult situation the complainant reported the matter to the police and a trap was subsequently set up resulting in the arrest of the suspect,” said Ass Insp Chananda.
Following his arrest, detectives confiscated his cell phone and discovered that he had several nude pictures and videos of the complainant.
Masango is facing charges of contravening Section 134 (1) (a) of the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act and another of contravening Section 26 (1) (a) of the Censorship and Entertainment Control Act that prohibits the possession of pornographic material.
