By Staff Writer
LOCAL comedienne Felistas Murata aka Mai Titi has been freed after her conviction for using a hired car as collateral in a US$10 000 debt was set aside by the High Court.
Her lawyer Admire Masango confirmed.
“Her appeal was set by the High Court and the State made a concession that her conviction by the lower court was wrong.
“The High Court allowed the appeal which means that her conviction has been set aside…so Mai Titi as we speak is now free and we now wait for her release from jail,” said Masango.
Mai Titi was serving 18 months effective following her conviction in June this year by Harare magistrate Munashe Chibanda.
Mai Titi was charged with fraud and theft of trust property charges respectively.
In the first count, it is alleged that sometime in September 2022 she intentionally misrepresented facts to the complainant Rachel Mhuka that she required USD$10 000 for her business venture and would give her a Mercedes Benz vehicle with registration as surety while aware the car was not hers.
Mhuka acted upon the misrepresentation and gave her US$10 000 cash.
The comedienne later retrieved the vehicle from the complainant stating that it did not belong to her and went on to give her another vehicle, an Audi as surety which she later took back leaving an invalid passport.
The complainant later discovered that the passport was not valid and returned it back to the socialite who then gave her the Audi back.
In January this year, police seized the vehicle from the complainant citing that the vehicle belonged to a car sale named Else Event Car Hire.
Prosecutors said that by doing so, Mai Titi exhibited an intention to deceive the complainant who then was prejudiced of US$10 000 cash which was not recovered.
In the second count, the car rental company is the complainant and is being represented by director Liberty Vazhura who reported the theft of trust property against the comedienne.
The court heard Mai Titi approached the complainant intending to hire an Audi Q5 motor vehicle.
She then entered into an agreement to make some weekly payments of US$770-00 and a lease agreement was signed.
She failed to make the weekly payments and was ordered to return the vehicle by the complainant.
It was alleged that she became evasive, forcing the car rental company to report the matter to the police.
Investigations were carried out leading to the recovery of the motor vehicle from Mhuka’s residence.
