Man Faces Fraud Charges for Forging Police Stamp
A 39-year-old man from Harare found himself in legal trouble after allegedly forging documents to lay claim to a vehicle he had lost in a court case. Tapiwa Moses Maswela appeared in court on Friday, facing fraud charges related to the forgery of a Zimbabwe Republic Police General Headquarters dispatch office date stamp.
According to the prosecution’s case presented before Harare magistrate Mrs. Ruth Moyo, the chain of events began in February 2021 when Maswela filed a criminal case against Bernard Guveya for the unlawful use of property, specifically a motor vehicle, under Hatfield CR: 38/02/21. However, Guveya was later acquitted by the Harare Magistrate Court, leading to the release of the vehicle to him by the Hatfield Police, who had kept it as an exhibit.
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The alleged fraud occurred on June 17, 2022, when Maswela attempted to claim ownership of the vehicle despite it being legally returned to Guveya. Maswela purportedly used a forged police date stamp to create the impression that he had served legal documents to the Commissioner General of Police, naming him as the first respondent. The documents also falsely named Constable Mupakaviri as the recipient of the court application.
Maswela then submitted a certificate of service to the High Court, claiming that he had served the Commissioner General of Police. Subsequently, on July 6, 2022, Justice Webster Chinamora of the High Court of Zimbabwe issued a verdict in favor of Maswela, ordering the Commissioner General of Police to release a Mercedes Benz E280, registered as AEC 1840, to him.
The scheme unraveled on July 7, 2022, when the Commissioner General of Police received the order and launched an investigation into the irregularity. It was discovered that Maswela had never served the police as claimed, leading to the realization of the forged documents and the subsequent legal action.
The case highlights the consequences of fraudulent activities and the importance of upholding integrity in legal proceedings, particularly in matters concerning the administration of justice and property rights.
