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Prosper Dembedza Court Correspondent
A personal assistant with Linda Banda Attorneys and Counsellors last Thursday appeared in court on allegations of converting to own use over $500 000 she received as payment for stands.

Lynette Muchaneta Shumba (41) was facing theft charges when she appeared before Harare magistrate Mrs Babra Mateko.

She was remanded out of custody on $500 bail.

As part of her bail conditions, she was ordered to surrender her passport with the clerk of court and to continue residing at her given address.

Sometime in November 2016, Linda Banda Attorneys and Counsellors, on behalf of Highgate Trust, sold a stand in Borrowdale for US$330 000 to SPNC Trust through Property Link Estate Agents.

It is alleged that during the process, Shumba received a total of US$28 975 from the complainant to pay capital gains tax and stamp duties to Zimra, but converted the funds to her own use.

The court heard that in early 2017, Shumba received $20 679 from the complainant on instructions to remit the Simeonides Estate file to Atherstone and Cook for further management, but reportedly converted the funds to her own use.

It is the State’s case that on June 20, 2017, through Property Link Estate Agents Shumba unlawfully sold a stand for US$140 000 which she also converted to her own use.

The court also heard that on October 4 2017 Shumba, without authority and approval of the complainant, allegedly sold a stand for $50 000 and converted the money to her own use.

From the period extending from January 2012 to January 2019, Shumba allegedly made unauthorised withdrawals totalling $300 000 from the complainant’s bank account which she converted to her own use.

The matter came to light when buyers of the properties sold by Shumba approached the complainant seeking the transfer of their properties.