Upenyu Chaota
MASVINGO – Former Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T) councillor for Ward 8 Misheck Gapare, who defected to Zanu PF last year in a move viewed as seeking protection from persecution against fraud involving 50 residential stands, was sentenced to four years imprisonment.
Gapare was charged on two counts of fraud as defined in Section 136 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Chapter 9:23. The first was against the Remainder of Victoria Ranch Consortium represented by Wellington Mahwende and the second against Vashandi Housing Cooperative represented by Godhati Dunira.
It is the State’s case that on January 31, 2012, Gapare made a misrepresentation intending to deceive the Remainder of Victoria Ranch Consortium that the list of names he tendered to them was for councillors and employees of Masvingo City Council, whilst in actual fact he knew they were not, causing the consortium to act upon the misrepresentation to their prejudice by offering 25 residential stands to Gapare which he converted to his own use causing an actual prejudice of $100 000.
On the same day Gapare made a misrepresentation intending to deceive Vashandi Housing Cooperative that the list of names he tendered to them was for councillors and employees of Masvingo City Council, whilst in actual fact he knew they were not, causing Vashandi Housing Cooperative to act upon the prejudice by offering 25 residential stands to Gapare which he converted to his own use causing an actual prejudice of $100 000.
Masvingo provincial magistrate Langton Ndokera slammed him with four years in prison. He however, suspended two years on condition that he returns the stands to the complainant. Tawonga Musina prosecuted.news
