OLD Mutual Insurance Company recently lost US$90 000 to a client following a bogus insurance claim.

The culprit Munyaradzi Ramehwa of Mutare was last week taken to court answering to fraud charges.

Ramehwa is accused of insuring an already damaged motor vehicle after staging a road traffic accident.

He allegedly went on to claim US$90 000 cash from Old Mutual.

The 31-year-old appeared before Harare provincial magistrate Dennis Mangosi and was remanded out of custody on ZW$300 000 bail.

He will be back in court on March 30 for his routine remand.

Prosecuting, Pardon Dziva alleged that in May 2022, Ramhewa approached Henrics Providence Donga and Llyod Makuzwa who are already on remand advising them that his motor vehicle a VW Touareg with a personalised registration MUBARWE had been involved in an accident.

Ramehwa said the vehicle was parked at his house in Mutare and wanted it repaired and the trio hatched a plan to steal from Old Mutual.

He went on to insure the motor vehicle through Reality Njabulo Chuma for US$90 000 despite the fact that it was already involved in an accident.

On 14 August 2022, Donga and Makuzwa went to Mutare where they met Ramhewa upon which they staged the accident as a sole party.

They then went to ZRP Mutare Traffic and reported the accident and the police attended the scene and Road Angels Towing Company.

Later on September 20, Ramhewa made a concocted claim through Chuma, an employee at Bright Insurance Brokers Private Limited, that the motor vehicle was severely damaged on the front, suspension, engine and gearbox.

Acting upon the misrepresentation, Old Mutual went on to process the claim for the sum of US$90 000.

The matter came to light when Old Mutual discovered that the photos that were sent by the accused persons were different from the ones submitted by Road Angeles who towed the vehicle from the scene.