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Tendai Rupapa Senior Court Reporter
A tenant connived with a law student and allegedly sold his landlord’s house for $22 400 after manufacturing fake documents in the name of the owner of the house, who is late.

The tenant, only identified as Kumbirai, posed as a home-seeker looking for a house to rent and when he got a house he paid the required rentals and was handed over the keys to the house.

Kumbirai did not move into the house, but instead advertised it for sale in a local newspaper.

He would take interested buyers to the house for viewing and the law student, Michael Limosa, who was on attachment at Mabundu Law Chambers, would pose as a lawyer before drafting an agreement of sale.

Limosa is being charged with fraud but denied the charges when his trial commenced before Mr Elijah Makomo, while Kumbirai is still at large.

Prosecutor Ms Sharon Mashavira alleged that on July 9 last year, Violet Banda came across an advert in a newspaper for a five-roomed house in Glen Norah.

She got interested and contacted the supplied numbers and spoke to Kumbirai who invited her over to Chitubu Shopping Centre.

Banda went together with her husband and met Kumbirai and they were taken to the said property for viewing. They were impressed and agreed to buy it.

On July 16, Limosa, it is alleged, phoned Banda and introduced himself as a lawyer from Mabundu Law Chambers and advised her that he was the conveyancer in the said property.

On July 17, Banda went to Mabundu Law Chambers offices where she met Limosa, Kumbirai and a third person whom they identified as Desmond Mutungwazi, the name of the late owner of the house.

Mutungwazi produced an identity card bearing the names of the owner of the house, but with his face on it.

Banda was made to sign an agreement of sale and made a payment of $22 400 to Limosa, the court heard.

She was given fake title deeds and keys to the house.

It is the State’s case that Banda and her husband went to the house intending to renovate it.

The offence came to light after Banda was told by neighbours that the owner of the house, Desmond Mutungwazi, was late, but it was being managed by his daughter.

She was further furnished with the contact details of Mutungwazi’s daughter, Memory, who later made a report to the police.