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Faith Mabuto Midlands Reporter—
THREE men posed as reporters from the popular Bulawayo-based tabloid, B-Metro, and extorted $1,200 from a Catholic nun after threatening to publish pictures of her posing nude. The trio allegedly told the nun that she should pay them $1,248 to stop the pictures from becoming public. Police arrested a man from Marondera suspected to be part of the extortionist trio after desperate Consilia Jangata — who took a vow of chastity— deposited the money into a bank account she was given.

Mike Chimutanda, 41, of Acacia Grove, Marondera, appeared before Gweru magistrate Mildred Matuvi charged with extortion. He indicated his intention to plead guilty as he was remanded to August 3 on $100 bail.

His alleged accomplices, Tenias Mapfune and Showan Ndlovu, have so far evaded arrest.

He denied ever knowing the two men and told the court that he wanted to pay back the money.

“I don’t know the other two men as I’ve never met them. I just want to pay back the money I took from the complainant,” Chimutanda said.

Prosecuting, Pride Gomera told the court that on July 19 this year, Chimutanda, together with Mapfune and Ndlovu connived and hatched a plot to steal from Consilia Jangata, who is a nun at Regina Mundi Girls High.

It is alleged that Jangata was having an affair with one of the three men with whom she had sexual intercourse. She also allegedly posed nude for a picture.

Gomera said: “Chimutanda told Jangata that he was a B-Metro reporter and was in possession of her picture where she posed nude. He told her that the picture was to be published in the tabloid, if she didn’t pay.

“He told her that he was going to stop the publication of the picture if she deposited $1,248 into his CABS account.”

The court heard that after Jangata deposited the money, she went to the police, leading to the arrest of Chimutanda.