Studio 263 actor up for $23 500 fraud

By Tarisai Machakaire

HARARE – Tafadzwa Gregory Hillary Tandi, a former Studio 263 actor and events designer, reportedly fleeced a couple planning a wedding of $23 500 after allegedly lying that he planned Bona Mugabe’s wedding.

Tandi, of 7-33 Avenue, Marlborough in Harare — popularly known as Hillary Indi — appeared before Harare magistrate Donald Ndirowei facing fraud charges.

The actor, who starred in popular television soap Studio 263 as James Chari, was remanded to August 7 on $200 bail.

As part of his bail conditions, he was ordered to surrender his passport, report once a week at the police’s CID Serious Fraud Squad and not interfere with witnesses.

Prosecutor Sharon Mashavira alleged that sometime in March, Tandi approached the couple, who were preparing for a wedding.

He reportedly lied that he was a choreographer employed by Cresta Lodge and that he had successfully planned Bona Mugabe’s wedding.

The complainants engaged Tandi and were charged $1 000 before receiving a quotation of $30 000, which would be for the total wedding cost.

Tandi received $20 000 to start the job and was later given another $9 000.

He then went to Pabani Lodge with the complainants for payment of venue, but failed to do so because the secretary was not available that day.

On another date, Tandi brought a list of payments which he purported to have done, written on a Miracle Magic Weddings letterhead.

The letterhead raised suspicion because it was of a different company from the one Indi had used when he clinched the contract.

The complainants then proceeded to Pabani and found that only $2 000 had been paid instead of $4 000 as listed on the price list.

They (complainants) also discovered that $2 500 instead of $5 000 had been paid for décor, and nothing had been paid for the cake designer, catering and event stationery.

This prompted the complainants to report the matter to the police.

Tandi then returned $3 000 to the complainants through Ecocash after realising that the matter had been reported to the police. Daily News