A 40 year-old Zimbabwean man, who pretended to be a policeman and conned a South African out of Z$1 million (about R3 300) after promising to sell the complainant’s car on his behalf in Beitbridge, was sentenced to an effective nine months in jail on Wednesday.

Lewis Phiri from Masvingo town in Zimbabwe, who is employed as an administrator at an Old People’s Home, was convicted of contravening a section of the Criminal Law Codification Act, Chapter 9:23 when he appeared before magistrate Learnmore Mpandasekwa.

He pleaded not guilty but was sentenced to one year, two months of which were conditionally suspended for five years.

Of the remaining 10 months, one month was further suspended on condition that the accused pay restitution to the complainant, Suleiman Mbowane, before 1 January next year.

It is alleged that the complainant, who was on a visit in Zimbabwe, met the accused. He wanted to sell his car, a Mercedes Benz. Phiri then purported to be a police officer and he offered to assist the complainant in clearing the car. He also offered to sell the car on behalf of the complainant and for that alleged service he charged the complainant Z$1 million after the misrepresentation, and he was given the money.

Mbowane then went to South Africa and when he came back he found the car still unsold. Phiri started avoiding the complainant, who then went to Beitbridge police station seeking the accused, where he was told that Phiri was not an officer.

He reported the matter to the police, leading to Phiri’s arrest.