A 28-year-old businesswoman from Harare, Nyasha Musonza, has been arrested for allegedly swindling a potential investor out of US$5,800 in a fake liquor store partnership.
Musonza was taken into police custody on February 18 and appeared in court on February 19, facing fraud charges under section 136 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act. Magistrate Isheanesu Matova remanded Musonza, who was granted bail, and her case is scheduled for trial on March 13.
According to prosecutor Rufaro Chonzi, between November 2024 and January 2025, Musonza persuaded the complainant to invest in her liquor store, claiming she needed a business partner. The complainant, believing the proposal was legitimate, handed over US$5,800, expecting the funds to be used to purchase stock for the business.
Suspicion arose when the complainant visited the liquor store and discovered no stock had been purchased. Upon confronting Musonza, she reportedly failed to provide a satisfactory explanation for the missing funds, leading the complainant to realize he had been deceived and subsequently report the matter to the police.
