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Top Harare Female Lawyer Jailed\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
By Crime and Courts Reporter-A prominent Harare lawyer, Concellia Maheya, has been jailed after being convicted of theft of trust property.<\/p>\n
Maheya was last week sentenced to three years\u2019 imprisonment by magistrate Lisa Mutendereki, who ruled that\u00a0the\u00a0offencewas committed\u00a0under aggravating circumstances. Of the sentence, one year\u00a0was suspended\u00a0on condition that she does not commit a similar\u00a0offence\u00a0within the next five years.<\/p>\n
A further year was suspended on condition that she restitutes US$10 000 to the complainant, Mercy Kabvara, by June 19, 2026, through the Clerk of Court at the Harare Magistrates\u2019 Court. The remaining one year is effective.<\/p>\n
The court heard that Maheya, formerly a legal practitioner with Maseko Law Chambers, defrauded Kabvara in a botched residential property transaction.<\/p>\n
Prosecutor Takudzwa Jambawo told the court that in October 2021, Kabvara sought to purchase a residential stand in Harare and\u00a0was referred\u00a0by estate agent Templeton P. Chadyiwa\u00a0to stand number 2308 in Bluffhill Township.<\/p>\n
After viewing the property, Kabvara expressed interest and\u00a0was introduced\u00a0to Maheya, who claimed to be acting on behalf of the alleged owner, Zvatinowona Tsitsi Kujeke, who remains at large. Maheya confirmed that the stand was on sale for US$30 000.<\/p>\n
The court further heard that Maheya produced a fraudulent deed of transfer for the property, measuring\u00a01 265\u00a0square\u00a0metres, purportedly registered in Kujeke\u2019s name.<\/p>\n
On October 29, 2021, Kabvara\u00a0entered into an agreement of\u00a0sale, with Maheya signing on behalf of the seller. Kabvara paid US$30 000 in cash, which Maheya was to hold in trust pending the completion of the transfer process, as well as an additional US$500 for conveyancing fees.<\/p>\n
However, weeks after the transaction, Maheya failed to provide the title deeds. Investigations by Kabvara at the Deeds Office revealed that the title deed\u00a0she had been shown\u00a0was forged. Authorities also confirmed that legitimate title deeds for the stand existed and differed from the fraudulent documents.<\/p>\n
On December 3, 2022, Kabvara confronted Maheya, who offered\u00a0an alternative property\u2014Lot 327, Block B, Hatfield Estate\u2014as compensation.\u00a0However, the property was under administration\u00a0by\u00a0the Master of the High Court, and Maheya\u00a0had no\u00a0legal authority to dispose of it, rendering the arrangement invalid.<\/p>\n
On February 23, 2023, Maheya signed an\u00a0acknowledgement\u00a0of debt, admitting that she owed Kabvara US$30 000.<\/p>\n
Further investigations by the City of Harare revealed that stand number\u00a02308\u00a0Bluffhill\u00a0had already\u00a0been sold\u00a0in June 2018 to another buyer, Collen Kapende.<\/p>\n
As a result of Maheya\u2019s actions, Kabvara suffered a total prejudice of US$30 500.<\/p>\n
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