Magaya fraud: Gono farm used to dupe congregants
TANAKA FETINANDI
Rape and fraud accused PHD Ministries founder Walter Magaya allegedly used the farm he was renting from former Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor, Gideon Gono, to dupe unsuspecting land seekers mainly from his church claiming the land was his.
Magaya was arrested on Saturday at his prayer mountain in Prospect, Harare, after a dramatic clash between his security and police detectives.
He was arrested together with his wife, Tendai, and bodyguard Tatenda Chingawo and are all facing fraud allegations.
The State alleges that sometime in 2016, Magaya, acting in connivance with his wife and two others hatched a plan to defraud PHD Ministries congregants and other members of the public by misrepresenting that they had acquired land in Chishawasha, Norton, Westgate, Fern Valley Mutare, Bulawayo, Kwekwe, Arcturus, Ruwa, Manyame and Nyatsime for building houses for church members and the general public for farming, beekeeping and mining projects.
Pursuant to the misrepresentation in 2016, the State alleges Magaya held a church service at his church where he preached to congregants in attendance and following on television misrepresenting on the land acquired.
“During his preaching, Magaya announced that God had instructed him that the purpose of giving him land was to assist members of the church and others to build houses,” the court papers read in part.
He used a biblical verse, Genesis 13 verse 9 which reads: “A vast land is out there and available to you” to dupe the land seekers.
Magaya allegedly promised 50% interest after six months to those who would invest in the mining and beekeeping projects.
“To keep the defrauded congregants with hope, in 2017, Magaya and his wife acting in connivance approached Dr Gono seeking for farming contract at new Donnington Farms belonging to Dr Gono and he agreed to providing them with land for farming for one season only.”
Magaya allegedly took congregants to Gono’s farm where he misrepresented that he was the owner and ready to allocate residential stands.
Nothing was recovered from the money paid by the home seekers.
The matter has been postponed to tomorrow.
