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Court Reporter
A BULAWAYO debt collector allegedly masqueraded as a lawyer and forged a writ of execution on behalf of a client before attaching property belonging to Vice-President Kembo Mohadi’s son-in-law, a magistrate has heard.

Simbarashe Dzingisai (47), a director at Regent and Associates Debt Collection Company allegedly pretended to be prominent lawyer Mr Byron Sengweni and forged his credentials to execute the writ.

Bulawayo provincial magistrate Ms Gladmore Mushove heard this when  Dzingisai appeared before her facing charges of forgery and contravening a section of the Legal Practitioners Act.

Dzingisai, who resides in Bulawayo’s Sizinda suburb, was remanded out of custody to February 1 pending trial.

Prosecuting, Mr Kudakwashe Jaravaza said sometime in 2013, the complainant Mr Sengweni was representing a company called Bhargatis (Pvt) Ltd owned by Mr Naik Mukhashkumar in a civil matter before the High Court in Bulawayo against Melelo Takeaways, a restaurant owned by VP Mohadi’s son-in-law, Mr Floyd Ambrose.

The court heard that sometime in September last year, Mr Sengweni renounced agency in the matter. Mr Mukhashkumar then engaged Dzingisai to take over the matter from Mr Sengweni.

“Dzingisai misrepresented to the complainant that he was a lawyer resulting in the accused person being engaged as a lawyer by Mr Mukhashkumar,” said Mr Jaravaza.

In October last year, the court was told that Dzingisai drafted and successfully filed a writ of execution with the Registrar of the High Court in Bulawayo purporting to be Mr Sengweni. In the court documents, the accused person used Mr Sengweni’s business address.

Dzingisai then handed over the writ of execution to the Additional Sheriff’s Office and the document was used to attach Mr Ambrose’s property.

The offence came to light when Mr Ambrose approached Mr Sengweni thinking that he was still representing his former client, Mr Mukhashkumar.

Mr Ambrose sought to have some of the attached property released, claiming it did not belong to him.

Mr Sengweni disowned the writ of execution and subsequently made a report to the police leading to the arrest of Dzingisai.