The Sunday News
Walter Mswazie Masvingo Correspondent
A MASVINGO police officer stationed at Mashava Police Station had all the reasons to smile after being acquitted on allegations of faking her husband’s death to defraud First Mutual Insurance Company of $1 500. Mary Matare (32) who was jointly charged with husband Maxwell Matare (32) of Mashava and an employee from the Registrar-General’s office Victor Chademana (33) of Mucheke, pleaded not guilty when she appeared before Masvingo magistrate Ms Sibonginkosi Mkandla facing fraud charges last week.
The trio that was represented by Mr Collen Maboke of Ruvengo and Maboke Legal Practitioners was acquitted at the close of State case after the key witnesses failed to identify Mary as the one who had submitted the claim forms.
In dismissing the case, Ms Mkandla said: “The fact that the key witnesses to this case failed to identify first accused as the one who went to the company with papers leaves the State with a weak case. Therefore, there is no prima facie evidence that nails down the accused as the perpetrator of the said offence.”
For the State, Mr Taonga Musina told the court that in November last year Mary, Maxwell and Chademana allegedly worked in connivance to defraud First Mutual Insurance Company.
The court heard that on 7 November 2014 Chademana allegedly issued a burial order to Mary that was in the name of her husband, Maxwell, purporting that he had died.
Mary then proceeded to First Mutual offices in Masvingo and misrepresented facts by filling claim forms to the effect that she was wife to the “deceased” Maxwell and that she was the sole beneficiary in their policy.
Armed with a burial order, Mary went on to submit photocopied identification documents of herself and that of Maxwell and filled in a claim form for $1 500.
However, the alert branch manager realised that the name of the deceased was similar to that of a client who had come to inquire on his policy three days earlier and became suspicious.
The court further heard that the manager made investigations by verifying the authenticity of the burial order with the District Registrar’s office before processing payment.
The District Registrar then noted irregularities on the burial order and the information on the claim form.
Further investigations revealed that a notice of death form, BD11 on which Maxwell had given notice of his father’s death carried a similar name but in the claim form he was now referred to as the deceased.
Police received a tip off leading to the Matares’ and Chademana’s arrest.
Copies of the fake burial order and certified copies of identity cards belonging to Maxwell and Mary were produced in court as exhibits.
