Tarisai Machakaire • 16 December 2014 3:30PM • 8 comments
HARARE - Former Studio 263 actor, Tafadzwa Gregory Hillary Tandi, defrauded $23 500 because he wanted to renovate his home, a magistrate heard yesterday.
Tandi, of 7-33 Avenue, Marlborough in Harare, is answering to fraud charges after defrauding a couple that was planning a wedding.
Popularly known as Hillary Indi, he reportedly won the couple’s confidence after lying that he planned Bona Mugabe’s wedding.
Prosecutor George Manokore led evidence from the investigating officer Edward Mtandwa at the commencement of trial yesterday.
“Accused person told me that he used the money to renovate his house when I interviewed him,” Mtandwa said. “However, he did not say what he was going to do to save the wedding.”
When Mtandwa visited Pabani Lodges — the proposed wedding venue — he realised that Tandi only made part payment towards planning the event.
“When I went to Pabani I saw the events manager who told me that Tandi had paid $2 000 for the venue instead of $4 000 that accused person misrepresented to have paid,” he said.
“Tandi then mentioned that he had tasked other people to assist him. He indicated that he paid $1 200 to one Muwishi to do the cake but when I interviewed her, she had only received $400.”
Tandi allegedly lied that he had given the cameraman $700 but it was established that he had not signed even a contract with him.
In his defence, Tandi said the complainants brought a civil matter to a criminal court.
He said the complainant was trying to induce him to pay the money back.
According to State papers, Tandi approached the couple, who were preparing for a wedding sometime in March.
He reportedly lied that he was a choreographer employed by Cresta Lodge and that he had successfully planned Bona Mugabe’s wedding.
The complainants engaged Tandi and were charged $1 000 before receiving a quotation of $30 000, which would be for the total wedding costs.
Tandi received $20 000 to start the job and was later given another $9 000.
He then went to Pabani Lodge with the complainants for payment of venue, but failed to do so because the secretary was not available that day.
On another date, Tandi brought a list of payments which he purported to have done, written on a Miracle Magic Weddings letterhead.
The letterhead aroused suspicion. The complainants then proceeded to Pabani and found that only $2 000 had been paid instead of $4 000 as listed on the price list.
The complainants also discovered that $2 500 instead of $5 000 had been paid for décor, and nothing had been paid for the cake designer, catering and stationery.
This prompted the complainants to report the matter to the police.
Tandi then returned $3 000 to the complainants through EcoCash after realising that the matter had been reported to the police.