HARARE - Deregistered lawyer Tichaona Mawere, accused of generating fake court orders and swindling unsuspecting people, on Friday appeared in court facing fraud charges.

Mawere, 35, who is being represented by Benjamin Chidenga of James Makiya law firm, was not asked to plead when he appeared before Harare magistrate Don Ndirowei who remanded him in custody to today for bail hearing.

Prosecutor Junior Mugebe alleges that in July 2008, Mawere was approached by Hope Chikukwa who was working in Australia.

Chikukwa allegedly wanted a divorce and custody order for her child so that she would be able to take her to Australia.

Mawere, is alleged, to have demanded R800 for processing of an interim order and a further R2 500 for the divorce application, which Chikukwa paid in full.

The lawyer, who was deregistered in 2010, is alleged to have generated a fake custody order which he sent through email to Chikukwa and as a result she suffered a prejudice of R3 300 and nothing was recovered.

On April 25, Shelton Mahuni, a partner in Mahuni and Matutu Attorneys received information that his law firm was issuing fake court orders.

It is alleged Mahuni made enquiries and discovered that Mawere was the one who misrepresented to a Kadoma miner, one Munyaradzi Bidi and went on to produce a fake court order purported to be issued at the High Court of Zimbabwe by Justice Joseph Musakwa.

Through Mawere’s actions, Bidi was made to pay for services believing that he had been provided genuine legal advice.

On April 25, Mawere processed two urgent chamber application forms in which he misrepresented that they have been made by Mahuni and Matutu law firm.

Mawere is also alleged to have swindled Jawona Dennis of $1 400 after misrepresenting to him that he had won a case in which he was fighting for a house he had paid for before the transaction was reversed. - Helen Kadirire