A man in Harare suffered a devastating loss after falling prey to a group of con artists posing as magicians, losing a mouth-watering USD$100,000.
The man had hoped to see his USD$100,000 multi[plied threefold but was left to rue his decision.
According to reports, the incident took place in December last year. The man, whose identity remains under wraps, was approached by his friend, James Munetsi, aged 57. Munetsi claimed to be acquainted with magicians from Kenya who possessed the power to multiply money.
Subsequently, Munetsi introduced his partners in crime, who are currently on the run, introducing them as genuine magicians. In an attempt to convince the victim of their authenticity, they performed a trick where they seemingly multiplied US$10 into US$30
After their magic performance, Munetsi and his accomplices proceeded to sweet-talk the unsuspecting Harare man into providing them with additional funds for multiplication purposes.
It is alleged that the victim procured a sum of US$100,000, which he then handed over to the accused and his companions, hoping for a three-fold increase.
Reality hit harder than a ton of bricks when the accused and his magical partners vanished into thin air, leaving behind nothing but empty promises. Much to the victim’s dismay, the accused and his accomplices vanished without a trace, leaving only worthless papers in the bag that purportedly contained the multiplied cash
In a twist of fate, Munetsi got caught in the net of justice, but his slippery comrades managed to give the law the slip. Now facing the music, Munetsi is expected to appear before the courts facing fraud charges and has been remanded in custody until his bail application, scheduled for next week.
