FAITH NDOU
MASVINGO – Masvingo South MP and Vision Academy director, Tanatsiwa Mukomberi, has urged members of the public, entrepreneurs and business people to remain vigilant after allegedly losing US$100, 000 in a sophisticated currency scam.
Mukomberi revealed that the suspect identified as Jonathan Gwed from Ghana had carefully profiled him, learning about his projects, including the construction of a boarding school at Renco Mine turn-off in Masvingo and the registration of a microfinance company.
“He came talking about the exact areas I am specializing in and claimed he wanted to invest in Zimbabwe,” Mukomberi said.
The suspect allegedly claimed he wanted to invest US$5 million in Mukomberi’s projects and proposed partnerships with local entrepreneurs.
“To be honest, you almost believe it’s real. He uses different approaches and angles in his scamming,” he added.
According to Mukomberi, he was eventually defrauded of US$100, 000 through the elaborate scheme.
The scam was later exposed when Gwed allegedly attempted to defraud a farmer, who became suspicious after the suspect repeatedly changed the amount of money being demanded and reported the matter to police.
Mukomberi had already reported the case to the Commercial Crime Division in Harare. When called to identify the suspect following his arrest, he confirmed that he was the same individual who had approached him months earlier.
“The important lesson here is to help others so they don’t fall victim to such scammers,” Mukomberi said, urging fellow businesspeople and members of the public to exercise caution when approached with lucrative investment opportunities.
The suspect, Jonathan Gwed, a Ghanaian national, appeared in a Harare court last Thursday for a bail application following his arrest in Kuwadzana, Harare.
Police recovered 5,051 counterfeit US$100 notes, along with black trunks, a machine allegedly used to produce counterfeit notes, cut bond paper, bottles of baby powder, syringes and iodine finisher fluid.
The alleged fraud dates back to November last year, when Gwed contacted Mukomberi under the guise of investing in Vision Academy, which he plans to expand into a boarding school.
Police investigations are continuing to establish whether the suspect may have orchestrated similar scams elsewhere in Zimbabwe.
