By Staff Reporter
A high-ranking Zanu PF official from Mashonaland East was hauled before a Harare court on Monday, charged with orchestrating a series of fraudulent land deals totaling $4 million.
Timothy Gowo, the party’s secretary for finance, is accused of being the ringleader in a sophisticated scam that duped a Harare land seeker.
Gowo, along with his co-accused Gerald Saidi, 39, Lovemore Majati, 35, Nigel Chimbwanda, 39, and Nathan Gowoko, 33, appeared before Magistrate Marehwanazvo Gofa.
They were remanded in custody pending a bail hearing scheduled for Thursday.
According to court documents, the first instance of fraud occurred in October 2022. The accused allegedly misled Andrew Baker into believing they were selling land in the desirable suburbs of Marlborough and Kuwadzana. Baker reportedly handed over $1.7 million to the group via Saidi’s office, located on Fife Avenue in Harare.
“Mr. Baker subsequently paid $51,000 for capital gains tax and $65,000 for transfer fees, all at the accused’s workplace,” prosecutors revealed.
The court heard that the accused provided Baker with forged documents, complete with counterfeit letterheads, stamps, and signatures of senior government and parastatal officials, to give the appearance of legitimacy.
Once payments were made, the group allegedly used Gowo’s cell phone to send proof of payment to Baker, even issuing a receipt for the full amount.
When Baker returned to Zimbabwe, he received a special grant for development. However, his plans were thwarted in January when he attempted to fence the land in Kuwadzana, only to be confronted by a school headmistress claiming the land belonged to the school.
In another alleged fraud, the group promised Baker a piece of land opposite Defence University valued at $2 million.
They purportedly provided him with a parent deed of grant for Rusununguko Holdings and a deed of transfer. Baker discovered the deception when a criminal trespass complaint was filed against him on July 22, 2024.
In a third incident, Baker was allegedly persuaded to donate a $100,000 Toyota Land Cruiser to the Angel of Hope Foundation.
Instead, the accused reportedly sold the vehicle for $60,000 at a car dealership on Chiremba Road.
The final charge involves the accused sending Baker a fake invitation to a SADC summit expo, demanding $7,000 for participation. This raised Baker’s suspicions, leading him to report the matter to the police.
