
Senior State Security Aide Defrauds Harare Farmer Of US$21,300

Walter Makwalo, a 34-year-old Senior State Security Aide, was convicted of 17 counts of fraud after pretending to be the Officer Commanding Operations for the CIO Southern Region.
The Harare Magistrates’ Court heard that between early 2023 and September 2023, Makwalo deceived Simon George Lee, a farmer from Harare, by promising to help him arrest and prosecute two men, Maurizio and Gabriel Arezio, who had allegedly defrauded Lee of US$170,600.
Makwalo falsely claimed that bribes were needed to influence police officers, prosecutors, magistrates, and judges to make the case go in Lee’s favour. Believing this, Lee paid him US$21,300.
Makwalo was convicted and sentenced to 24 months in prison, but 18 months of the sentence were suspended for five years as long as he behaved well.
The remaining 6 months were suspended if he completed 210 hours of community service.
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