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Prosper Dembedza Court Correspondent
A Harare woman allegedly faked a pregnancy and has used her cousin’s new-born baby to claim maintenance from her boyfriend since 2012, defrauding him of $50 000.

Lilian Chitanga Marowa (44) and Shylet Taruza (31), the mother of the baby used in the alleged swindle, were facing fraud charges when they appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Tendai Mahwe.

They were granted $100 bail each.

As part of their bail conditions, the two were ordered to report to CID Serious Fraud once every Friday, reside at their addresses and not to interfere with witnesses.

Allegations are that sometime in 2012, Marowa and Taruza connived and devised a plan to swindle the complainant.

Marowa, it is alleged, lied to Spencer Mackenzie Mabheka that she was pregnant. Taruza was pregnant at that time.

The court heard that Marowa demanded money from Mabheka purporting that she wanted to book for delivery at Belvedere Maternity Hospital in Harare.

Believing that Marowa was pregnant, Mabheka gave her $500 meant for the purported delivery booking.

In May 2013, Taruza gave birth. In a bid to convince Mabheka that he had sired a baby girl with her, Marowa and Taruza took the new-born baby to him at Parkview Restaurant in Harare Gardens.

The court heard that Marowa and Taruza showed the baby to Mabheka’s family and he named the baby after his mother.

Since then, Marowa and Taruza have been demanding and getting money from Mabheka purporting that it was for the upkeep of his child.

The court heard that Mabheka further bought two vehicles for Marowa, a Toyota Harrier and a Mercedes-Benz E240 in appreciation of the child’s upkeep.

It is the State’s case that Mabheka made his own inquiries and discovered that the child’s parents were Taruza and the late Thomas Nyamayaro, prompting him to report the suspected fraud to the police.

Police conducted their own investigations and then arrested the two.

Mabheka suffered a total prejudice of $50 000 and nothing has yet been recovered.