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Tendai Rupapa Senior Court Reporter
A suspected fraudster who had been arrested on allegations of swindling a home seeker jumped from a moving police vehicle and escaped while being taken to Rhodesville Police Station.

Macdonald Mashiri (38) of 1772 Warren Park, Harare, was later re-arrested in the city centre on the same day.

Upon his arrest, he was found in possession of a map of the Harare Remand Prison. Mashiri recently appeared in court before magistrate Mr Tendai Mahwe, charged with fraud and escaping from lawful custody.

He was remanded in custody after prosecutor Mrs Idah Maromo strongly opposed bail.

She told the court that Mashiri’s conduct showed that he has a propensity to abscond from court proceedings if granted bail.

“Your Worship, a suspect who attempts to escape from police or any law enforcement agent before allegations are levelled against him in my view is more likely to abscond when the allegations are subsequently and formally made against him,” she said.

She added: “There is also a clear nexus between accused person and the charges he is facing. The court should protect the public from such offenders.”

Mrs Maromo added that admitting Mashiri to bail would prejudice the course of justice.

Allegations against Mashiri arose when he misrepresented to Otilia Musengi that he was the lawful owner of residential stand number 4102 Tynwald Township, yet he was fully aware that the property belonged to one Gilbert Mawere.

Musengi then paid $3 000 to Mashiri as part of the purchase price, the court heard.

Musengi is said to have engaged her lawyers for verification of papers.

She was then advised by the lawyers that the paperwork was fake and that Mashiri was not the owner of the said property.

According to the State, all the documents Mashiri was using during the transaction were fraudulent.

This prompted Musengi to make a report to the police, leading to Mashiri’s arrest on the day he was supposed to finalise the transaction.

While being taken to Rhodesville Police Station, Mashiri allegedly jumped when the motor vehicle slowed down as the driver approached the traffic lights at the intersection of Glenara and Samora Machel Avenues.

He was later re-arrested and found in possession of a map of the Harare Remand Prison.