Harare – A Harare businessman, Steven John Bass was sentenced to three years in jail on Tuesday for fraud involving US$200 000 duped from a friend and ex-workmate.
Steven John Bass, aged 52, was sentenced by Harare magistrate Clever Tsikwa to eight years in jail but three years were suspended if he pays restitution of US$160 000.
Another two years was suspended if John Bass does not commit a similar offence in five years.
In the trial, the court heard that John Bass approached a friend and former workmate, the complainant, Ruth Nicola Dickinson with a business proposal.
John Bass misrepresented to Dickinson in 2021 that he had secured a contract to supply goods to TM Pick n Pay supermarket.
He told Dickinson that he formed a company Wireline Private Limited that required capital injection to start operating.
John Bass said he would invest US$300 000 and requested Dickinson to inject US$200 000, the court heard.
Dickinson gave John Bass US$200 000 cash and after a while she realized she had been duped.
”The complainant (Dickinson) later found out that the accused person had not invested his own amount of US$300 000 and the company was not operational, no money had been deposited into the company’s account and that the accused person had not secured any contract with TM Pick n Pay,” Tsikwa said in his sentence.
”The accused person benefited much from this offence, much to the complainant’s prejudice. The offence involved careful planning and execution. The accused benefited from this offence.”
”The amount involved is very substantial of which greater part has not been recovered,” he added.
After trying to recover her money, Dickinson only got US$40 000 back which led to reporting a fraud case against Steven John Bass.
