Effort Musandinane (39) who made headlines in February for making a huge statue of the President which is yet to be donated to Zanu PF has been arrested and convicted for conning the public using fake US$ notes.
A Zvishavane Magistrate convicted Musandinane of splashing and using a fake US$100 note.
Musandinane was slapped with a 12-month jail sentence and three months were suspended on condition of good behaviour, seven months on condition that the convict performs 315 hours community service and the other two months were suspended on condition the convict restitutes the complainant of $89, the Mirror reports.
Prosecutor Sheila Mutandi told the Court that on February 18, 2015 Musandinane of Bere township, Mashava got to Jenet Moyo’s Ecocash booth where he said he wanted to change his $100 but the complainant indicated to him that she did not have change.
Musandinane then indicated again that he wanted to make cash in transaction of US$11 to his friend who needed bus fare. He tendered a genuine $100 which the complainant took into the shop to get change.
Whilst the complainant was in the shop the convict indicated that he had changed his mind and wanted to take back his money and the complainant handed back the money and Musandinane went back to his vehicle.
After a while the convict returned and suggested that she give him $90 change and that he would give her $101 to facilitate the transaction of $11 and he supplied details of where the money was supposed to be transferred.
Musandinane then tendered a fake $100 note to the complainant together with a genuine $1 note and he was given $90 change. After giving the complainant the fake money the convict rushed to his car and fled. When the complainant went back into the shop she then discovered that the money was fake but when she rushed to Musandinane, he had already gone.
Musandinane was arrested by detectives after a tip off on February 25, 2015.