Online Reporter
Zvikomborero Parafini
THE man who faked a robbery and claimed that he had lost US$287 000 during the fantasy hit has been ordered to perform 208 hours of community service.
Khumbulani Sibanda, 39, pleaded guilty to defeating the course of justice.
Quizzed on why he lied to the police, Sibanda told magistrate Sharon Rakafa that he was lying to a girl he wanted to date pretending as if he had a lot of money.
He claims he was overheard by officers from CID Homicide, who were on a different mission, and they told him to make a police report.
He was sentenced to twelve months imprisonment and four months were suspended on condition that he doesn’t commit a similar offence in the next five years.
Eight months were also suspended on condition that he performs the 208 hours of community service at Glen Norah Police Station.
Prosecutor Takudzwa Mutyavaviri said last Wednesday, Sibanda went to a police station in Mutoko and made a false report that he had been robbed of US$287 000 cash and an unregistered Toyota Allion vehicle in the Harare Central Business District near the Copacabana bus terminus.
He claimed he was attacked by four robbers, who were driving a Ford Ranger double cab, and was dumped in Mutoko.
The report was recorded under ZRP Mutoko CR 46/12/24.
Sibanda claimed that on December 4, he assigned Safeguard Security Company to transport his cash amounting to US$2,3 million from Matabeleland South to Harare for safekeeping.
He claimed he wanted to buy residential and business properties in the capital.
The case was referred to CID Mutoko, who carried out preliminary investigations into the matter by visiting the place where Sibanda claimed he was dumped.
The detectives failed to get any clues.
The detectives escorted Sibanda to CID Homicide Harare.
After a series of interviews, visited Safeguard Security who revealed that Sibanda was not their client and that he had not collected any money from their offices.
Investigations revealed that he had made a false statement to the police that he had been robbed.
The detectives’ investigations revealed that in a space of a month, Sibanda visited six Fawcett Security Firm branches in different towns asking for cash-in-transit (CIT) services.
Detectives also established that he had no mining operations in Filabusi, Matabeleland South Province, as he had alleged.
Further investigations by the police revealed that Sibanda had lied that he had obtained the cash from Safeguard as officials from the security company denied knowing him as their client and that he had no money that was being kept there.
It was further established that between December 4 and 11, 2024, Sibanda had visited several business and residential owners promising to buy their properties in Melfort, Goodhope, Mainway Meadows, Norton, Ardbennie, Blue Ridge along Mutoko Road, among others, and some had visited lawyers with him to initiate the selling processes.
Police also interviewed his girlfriend, Agnes Mandiyenga (23), who said she had known Sibanda since November 2024 and they had been staying together at a garage along Willowvale Road.
During that period, Sibanda only gave her US$20 cash for all their household needs.
