HARARE - A Harare man who collected money from teachers masquerading as a Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) officer has been jailed for eight years.

Agrippa Guti appeared before magistrate Lazarus Murendo on two counts of impersonation and one count of unlawful possession of ammunition. The 24-year-old was convicted after pleading guilty to all counts.

Magistrate Murendo suspended one year on condition Guti does not commit a similar offence in the next five years.

A further 18 months were suspended on condition Guti pays back the money he fleeced his victims, who included a headmaster and a teacher from his former school.

Kuwadzana 7 Primary School headmaster Mezah Muzambiri lost $1 000 while a teacher Tendai Mhurukai was conned of $340 by Guti.

Circumstances are that sometime in February this year, Guti went to the school where he met Muzambiri.

He introduced himself as Muzambiri’s former student and told him he was now working in the President’s office as a CIO and was investigating a case in which a child was being denied a place to repeat studies at the school. — Ivan Zhakata