A TOP lawyer this week appeared at the Harare Magistrates Courts facing allegations of fraud involving a US$180 000 botched land deal.
Emmanuel Makanyera Mukwewa (49), who is a senior partner with Mukwewa Law Chambers, appeared before Harare magistrate Marehwanazvo Gofa.
He was released on US$200 bail and ordered to report at CID Commercial Crimes once a week, not to interfere with State witnesses and to surrender his passport.
He will return to court on January 21 for routine remand pending finalisation of investigations.
The complainant is Pacifio Trading Limited, represented by its director Rodger Barney Guy (41).
The State alleges that sometime in January this year, Mukwewa and Ernest Chagadama of Oracle Estate (Pvt) Limited allegedly defrauded unsuspecting victims by fraudulently fabricating documents of Lot 1 of 636 of Greendale Township, Harare.
As they sought buyers, they allegedly misrepresented that the land in question belonged to Oracle Estate (Pvt) Limited.
They set the price at US$180 000.
According to court documents, Guy approached Chagadama and expressed interest and was referred to Mukwewa, the estate’s legal practitioner.
It is alleged that Guy instructed Mukwewa to craft an agreement of sale after inspecting the land.
The complainant paid the asking price of US$180 000, with half of it put under Mukwewa’s trust fund since it was supposed to be released after conclusion of the transaction.
Guy realised that he had been duped when Mukwewa became evasive after he received the money.
It is at that stage that Guy learnt that the piece of land belonged to the government and not Oracle Estate.
Guy was prejudiced of US$180 000 and only US$20 000 was recovered.
