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Patrick Chitumba Midlands Bureau Chief
A 30-YEAR-OLD nurse and her 48-year-old boyfriend have been arrested for allegedly using patients admitted to Kwekwe General Hospital to defraud an insurance company. Renica Chakabvapasi and Godwin Takarwa Mugwangi both from Kwekwe appeared before Kwekwe Magistrate, Mr Ngoni Nduna, facing fraud charges. They were not asked to plead and were remanded in custody to today for bail consideration.

The court heard that Chakabvapasi and Mugwangi defrauded Old Mutual Life Assurance Company of Zimbabwe Limited of thousands of dollars in a cash back life assurance plans scam.

Prosecutor, Mr Simeleni Nkala, told the court that the two were girlfriend and boyfriend. He said in May the two defrauded Old Mutual Life Assurance Company Zimbabwe Limited, with Chakabvapasi in the course of her duty, identifying some terminally ill patients admitted to Kwekwe General Hospital to use to swindle the company.

“Accused number two (Chakabvapasi) would identify some terminally ill patients admitted to Kwekwe General Hospital and secretly obtain their particulars which she would supply to her boyfriend Mugwangi who would use them to open cash back insurance policies without the knowledge of the beneficiaries,” said the prosecutor.

The court heard that sometime in May, Chakabvapasi obtained particulars of a patient who was admitted to the hospital. “Mugwangi claimed that he was a cousin of the patient when in fact they are not related at all,” the court heard.

Mr Nkala said on September 6, the patient died and Chakabvapasi quickly facilitated the acquisition of a burial order which he in turn handed over to Mugwangi who claimed $5 000 from the insurance company.— @pchitumba1.