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Tendai Rupapa Senior Reporter
A Harare doctor lost US$31 700 to conmen posing as sons to slain Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) President Laurent Kabila in an old trick when they persuaded him they had coated United States banknotes that needed a special chemical from the US embassy to clean them.

Joseph Blawah (46) and his accomplice who is still at large approached Dr George Danda on the pretext they needed medical attention, adding that money left by their father Kabila was coated and would pay him after cleaning it.

They showed Dr Danda bags and a safe containing the alleged money and asked for cash upfront to buy the chemical from the embassy, saying they would pay it back with interest.

The prospects of reaping huge rewards were hard to resist for the doctor and he fell into the trap, losing US$31 700 in the process.

Blawah was convicted of fraud by magistrate Mrs Yeukai Chigodora after a full trial.

He was sentenced to five years in prison, but one year was suspended on condition of good behaviour.

Two more years were set aside on condition he restitutes US$31 700 to Dr Danda to be paid on or before August 30. Blawah will spend two effective years behind bars but if he fails to pay back the money, he will be in prison for four years.

Prosecutor Mr Terence Mashaire proved that in November last year, Blawah and his accomplice identified only as Thompson contacted the doctor for a medical appointment.

The two criminals introduced themselves to the doctor as sons of the late President Kabila living in exile at Waterfalls Refugee Camp. They said they had a brother who needed treatment but they had no money. Instead, they had money from their father’s estate, but it was coated with a substance that needed a chemical from the US embassy to clean it so the notes would be revealed.

On November 15, the pair took their “sick young brother” to the doctor. They showed Dr Danda US$30 which was coated and demonstrated how to clean the money.

They told him they did not have money to buy the chemical but if he helped, they would pay back the money with a token of appreciation. The doctor fell for the trick and asked them to come back on November 18 when he gave them US$2 700.

The following day they brought a safe of “money” and a bottle of a chemical, and cleaned notes totalling US$1 000. Suddenly they said the chemical had solidified and they needed help from the US Embassy laboratory.

They told the doctor that they had to spend the cleaned US$1 000, giving US$500 for the laboratory and spending US$500 on food since they were refugees.

Later they called the doctor on November 20 asking for another US$4 000 for a new chemical. The doctor give it to them.

On November 21 the conmen stepped up their attack. They told Dr Danda that the laboratory needed 6 litres of the chemical, which cost US$120 000.

The doctor told them to negotiate for a smaller quantity and so they asked for US$25 000 for 1,2 litres, which he gave them.

The fraudsters then told Dr Danda that they had bought the chemical and promised to meet the doctor on November 26 to clean the notes in all the boxes.

But the day before that meeting, Blawah told the doctor that they had been arrested and taken to immigration for deportation to DRC. They told him they had left the money with a person called “Louis” to conclude the deal. This “Louis asked for a further US$20 000 but Dr Danda now realised he was being conned, went to the police and Blawah was arrested.

The trick of the coated US dollar notes is an old one, and has been used several times in Zimbabwe despite efforts by the US embassy and police to make it clear that there are no coated US notes and no high priced chemicals at the embassy. Some past conmen even went into the embassy while their victim was parked outside and when they came out showed a bottle that had been hidden nearby but which they said was from the embassy.