By Harriet Chikandiwa

A 41-YEAR-OLD Murewa woman allegedly duped a political ex-detainee of his $9 600 pension by illegally transferring the money into her bank account.

Audrey Muteera appeared before magistrate Rumbidzai Mugwagwa, who remanded her to October 21.

The complainant is Tarwirei Kadira (61), an ex-political detainee on government pension.

It is alleged that sometime this month, Kadira engaged Muteera to assist him go through the process of claiming his pension.

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The court heard that Kadira did all the processes with Muteera’s help until the money started reflecting in his bank account.

Kadira allegedly later went to the pension office to receive his payslip in the company of Muteera who claimed to know the pensions staff.

Upon receiving the playslip, it is alleged that Muteera grabbed it from the complainant.

It is alleged that the complainant, in the company of the accused, then visited Steward Bank Avondale branch intending to transfer the money to his POSB account.

However, Muteera allegedly took advantage of Kadira’s illiteracy and misrepresented to him that she completed five outward payment of Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) forms authorising transfer of funds totalling $9 600 from Kadira’s Steward Bank to POSB bank account, yet in fact she made the transfer to her personal account.

The court heard that Kadira was deceived by the misrepresentation and appended his signature on the completed RTGS forms authorising the purported transfer amounting to $9 600.

With the help of his children, Kadira later noted the offence and obtained a bank statement which unearthed the scam.