The Sunday News
Michael Magoronga, Midlands Correspondent
A KWEKWE-based teacher faked the death of his daughter and claimed $2 500 from an insurance company.
As if that was not enough, soon after the money ran out, the teacher used the same trick and submitted another claim stating that his second daughter had also died.
However, his luck ran out on the second attempt after the insurance company discovered that Lloyd Muza (38) a teacher at Sherwood Primary School had faked both claims.
This came to light when Muza appeared before Kwekwe magistrate Mr Storey Rushambwa last week facing one count of defrauding the insurance company and another of attempted fraud.
He was found guilty and sentenced to 12 months in jail.
For the first count, the court heard that Muza was given $2 500 by First Mutual Insurance Company after he claimed that is daughter Ropafadzo Modestre Muza had passed on.
The insurance firm however, smelt a rat and launched an investigation that led to his arrest after he tried to repeat the same trick a year later by claiming that his other daughter, Kaylor Ruvarashe had also passed on.
For the first count, he was sentenced to six months behind bars, a sentence which was wholly suspended on condition that he restitutes First Mutual a total of $2 500.
On count two, Muza was sentenced to another six months jail sentence, which was also suspended on condition he does not commit a similar offence in the next five years.
Prosecuting, Mr Freddy Ndoro told the court that on 13 April 2017 Muza hatched a plan to defraud the insurance firm of money and faked the death of his daughter.
He then faked the death of his first born daughter and forged a death certificate as well as a burial order which he submitted to the firm. Satisfied, First Mutual gave Muza the $2 500 as claims.
He however, ran out of luck on 13 March 2018 when he attempted to use the same trick by claiming that his other daughter had also passed on.
The insurance launched an investigation and discovered that Muza’s daughters were all alive. The company represented by Ms Stabile Mukaravanji, made a police report leading to the arrest of Muza.
