Beverly Bizeki
A 26 year-old Masvingo man masquerading as a Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (ZIMSEC) official was this week denied bail when he appeared before Masvingo Magistrate Conceptor Ngwerune for allegedly defrauding desperate ZIMSEC certificate seekers and leaking 2022 Ordinary and Advanced level examinations.
Kudakwashe Betserai is accused of fraud and contravening section 35(a) and (b) of the ZIMSEC Chapter 25:18 for unlawfully gaining access or revealing contents of any examination material.
It is the state case as presented by prosecutor Tichaona Chakavarika that the accused defrauded different desperate and unsuspecting ZIMSEC duplicate Ordinary and Advanced Level Certificate seekers.
It is alleged that sometime in February 2020, Betserai approached Econet Wireless Zimbabwe and registered a simcard in the name ZIMSEC Mutare which he used to activate Ecocash and WhatsApp accounts and advertised that he had the capacity to replace lost certificates at a replacement fee of US$ 150.
The matter came to light after victims of the scam realized that Betserai became evasive after receiving the money and stormed ZIMSEC Security and Loss Control manager James Nyabonde’s office in Harare demanding for certificates or a refund to the surprise of the complainant.
The accused is also alleged to have fraudulently obtained an Econet Simcard and activated Ecocash and WhatsApp accounts which he used to distribute ZIMSEC 2022 Ordinary level Mathematics Paper 2, English Paper 1 and Science Paper 2.
The sources from which he got the papers from are yet to be established.
The State said the accused reportedly defrauded more than 50 people using the method and is highly likely to interfere with state witnesses if granted bail.
Betserai is said to have received varying amounts from victims into his Ecocash, Mukuru.com and Innbucks accounts.
A team from Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Commercial Crimes Division in Masvingo recovered an iPhone 6 and Vodafone handset which contains an Econet Simcard used to receive some Ecocash payments and also ZIMSEC O Level papers with indications that it had been forwarded to several beneficiaries.
Betserai was remanded in custody to November 15, 2022.
