Staff Writer
Comedienne Felistus Murata, popularly known as Mai TT, was today sentenced 12 months imprisonment with six months suspended on condition that she does not commit a similar offense.
In handing down judgment, Harare magistrate Mrs Munashe Chibanda said for defaulting on her previous conviction of 105 hours community service some eight years ago, Mai TT will serve three months in prison.
Mai TT was facing a charge of theft of trust property of a hired car pending a report from the community service department about a possible skipping of past community service, that time for assault.
The State led by Mrs Monalisa Magwenzi proved that Murata hired a Mercedes Benz from Else Event Car Hire last year and handed the vehicle over as collateral for a US$10 000 loan to Ms Rachel Mhuka.
Despite knowing that the hired vehicle was accumulating charges, she went to the United States without returning it to the owner.
She then came back to Zimbabwe after her visa was cancelled, claimed back the Mercedes Benz saying it did not belong to her and handed over another vehicle, an Audi Q5. That vehicle was also hired.
She again reclaimed this vehicle and replaced with an invalid passport as surety.
When Ms Mhuka realised that the passport was invalid, she confronted Murata who immediately sent back the second vehicle as security, the stolen Audi.
But in January this year, police from Rhodesville approached Ms Mhuka and seized the car saying it had been stolen from Else Event Car Hire.
This was after the company, represented by Liberty Vazhura, reported Murata for theft of trust property.
The vehicle worth US$18 000 was recovered.
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