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Yeukai Karengezeka Court Correspondent

A car dealer from Mayambara, Seke who defrauded a client US$13 000 on the pretext that he bought a Mercedes Benz truck on his behalf from the United Kingdom has been slapped with a five-year jail term.

Tatenda Magura(30) director of Tatpat Shipping Company, located at Chikwanha Shopping Centre was convicted of fraud by Chitungwiza magistrate Ms Barbra Mateko.

Of the five-year sentence, Ms Mateko suspended one year on condition of good behaviour.

Two years were suspended on condition he pays restitution of US$13 600 by 28 June 2023. He will serve two years effective.

According to the State, sometime between May 10 and September 16, 2022 Tafadzwa Jani approached Magura at Tatpat Shipping Company seeking assistance to import a motor vehicle from the United Kingdom.

Magura agreed to facilitate the importation of a Mercedes Benz Ateggo 1690 flatbed truck worth US$13 365 000 under UK registration number MFZ 6802 for a fee.

They signed an affidavit on May 10 and Jani deposited US$8 000 and finished off balance in installments on July 24.

The court heard on June 2, Magura sent a fake and blurry Whatsapp picture message showing a bill of landing insinuating that the car had been imported and was now on a ship headed for Walvis Bay Namibia under ship name “Helois Ray” under the NMT Shipping Company.

Magura promised to deliver the vehicle on June 19 and failed to do so.

Then on June 29, after further enquiries from Jani, he sent him a screenshot from MACS Maritime Carrier Shipping Company that their ship Bright Sky had been delayed coming to Namibia.

Jani tracked the ship via the internet until July 23 when it showed that the ship had docked in Walvis Bay.

Jani paid the last deposit of US$1 000 the following day which was meant to cover travelling expenses to and fro Namibia.

Magure promised to deliver the truck after four days and later said that the vehicle had been held up at Namibian Customs and Exercise because it had undeclared spare parts belonging to Magure.

Upon further enquiries with NMT and MACS Maritime Carrier Shipping via email, Jani was told that the truck which had been purportedly for them had never been on the ship as alleged.

The bill of landing sent on Whatsapp was forgery and the ship Helois Ray had docked in Namibia in January 2022 and had never returned since.

Jani then made a police case leading to his arrest.