Police keen to quiz Uebert Angel

By Tendai Rupapa and Staff Reporter

HARARE – Police in Zimbabwe are keen to question Spirit Embassy Ministries founder Prophet Uebert Angel Mudzanire on allegations that he defrauded a Harare man of his vehicle, a Bentley worth $300 000.

Angel is said to have connived with his brother Benjamin and Anderson Tagara to allegedly defraud Mr Ndabazinengi Shava, the director of Faith Age Holdings Zimbabwe.

This was revealed following the arrest of Tagara (35) who appeared in court yesterday before Mr Milton Serima charged with two counts of fraud.

According to the State, Angel who is still at large, is the main perpetrator of the case. Benjamin, who is said to be Angel’s accomplice, is also still at large. It is our understanding that both Prophet Angel and Benjamin are in the United Kingdom.

Tagara was remanded to February 17 for trial on $200 bail.

Law officer Mr Editor Mavuto from the Prosecutor-General’s office appeared for the State, while Mr Tapiwa Makanza of Nyamayaro Makanza and Bakasa legal practice, acted on behalf of Tagara.

It is the State’s case that sometime in February 2012, Shava intended to import a motor vehicle, a Bentley from the United Kingdom.

Shava, the court heard, contracted his long time friend Tagara to buy the vehicle on his behalf and the two entered into a verbal agreement. During the same year in March, the State alleged that Shava gave Tagara $240 000.

Tagara advised Shava to send the money through Centrust Pvt Ltd, a company run by Willard Kafalimani.

Tagara, it is alleged, collected the money from Kafalimani and imported the said vehicle which he registered in his name. He later handed over the vehicle and the registration documents to Shava, the court heard.

Sometime in 2013, Shava, the State further alleged, lost his vehicle to Prophet Uebert Angel through fraudulent means.

Between May and October 2013, Tagara acting in common purpose with the man of cloth signed a fake agreement of sale to the effect that Benjamin had bought the said vehicle from Tagara for $76 000.

Benjamin is said to have taken the fake documents to the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority, the police and the Central Vehicle Registry and acting on the misrepresentation, the Central Vehicle Registry registered the motor vehicle in Eubert Angel’s name.

Shava discovered the offence and filed a report to the police against the trio.

Police detectives started conducting investigations and on December 16 last year, they recovered the fake agreement of sale.

As a result, Shava suffered a total prejudice of $300 000.

Meanwhile a source from within Angel’s Spirit Embassy church told Nehanda Radio “the case is between Prophet Angel’s brother Lee who bought the car from Anderson. The car was never registered in Angel’s name that’s why they don’t have his name at the CVR (Central Vehicle Registry).”

“Knowing legally that the car was not his but the importer who sold it to Lee Angel, the Prophet went to the ones who bought the car to buy it back but they refused so the case in the courts is not between Prophet Angel and this guy,” the source told Nehanda Radio.

Just before Christmas last year it was reported that Prophet Angel was battling a serious health scare after being diagnosed with a brain tumour in January 2014 and this had forced him to “to decamp to his UK base to fight the disease.”

Angel has not been to Zimbabwe for some time and last year announced he was handing over to his wife, Beverly, the church leadership in order to go on a five-month prayer retreat. The announcement, made on Twitter, “fuelled speculation that he had done a runner to escape possible prosecution and public disgrace.” The Herald/Nehanda Radio