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Prosper Dembedza Court Correspondent
CHIRUMHANZU South legislator Innocent Pedzisai yesterday appeared in court for allegedly swindling $2 500 from an unsuspecting home-seeker in a botched housing stand deal.

The legislator was charged with fraud when he appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Elijah Makomo. He was granted $100 bail at the State’s consent and will be back in court on April 7.

As part of his bail conditions he was ordered to continue residing at his given address, not to interfere with State witnesses and to report once at Marimba Police Station.

Allegations are that sometime in November 2012, Simbarashe Humbani visited Innop Housing Development (Pvt) Ltd at 48 Aspindale, Kambuzuma, Harare, in a bid to acquire a residential stand. The court heard that Humbani met the legislator at the Innop Housing Development (Pvt) Ltd offices and was told to pay if he was interested.

It is alleged that Humbani paid $2 000 as down payment, and was issued with a receipt bearing Pedzisai’s name.

During the same month, Humbani was allegedly allocated stand number 674 Kambuzuma Extension.

The court heard that Humbani paid an instalment of $500 in January 2013 and a receipt was issued. It is alleged that Humbani started developing the stand and digging a foundation. It is the State’s case that on unknown dates, two men went to Humbani’s residential stand and destroyed the foundation, claiming that the land did not belong to Innop Housing Development (Pvt) Ltd.

The court heard that Humbani visited Innop offices to confirm what was taking place and he met Anthony Pedzisai who told him that they could take no action since they were still processing ownership documents of the land.

It is alleged that Humbani later discovered that Innop Housing Development (Pvt) Ltd did not own any land in Kambuzuma.

Humbani lost $2 500 and nothing was recovered.