A 35-year-old medical doctor appeared before Mutare Magistrates Court yesterday charged with extortion after he demanded $1000 or 100 rounds of sexual intercourse from his ex-girlfriend or risk having her nude pictures spread on social media.
By Tapera Gwezhira
According to the state, on 9 February Lazarus Masango of house number 7063, area 15 Dangamvura who is out on $100 bail began sending messages to his former girlfriend (name withheld) threatening to leak her nude pictures on social media if she fails to deposit $256-00 by the end of the day.
Masango was arrested as he was going to meet his friend Persuade Jonasi whom he had sent to collect money from her ex-lover.
He is facing charges of contravening Section 134(1) (a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Chapter 09:23 which criminalise all acts of extortion.
It is the state’s case that around 1200 hours at Dangamvura rank in Mutare, the former girlfriend received a WhatsApp message from Masango saying he wanted the money from her or he faces ridicule once her nude pictures are spread over social media.
Masango is believed to have sent the pictures he intended to spread on social media to his ex-girlfriend.
The ex-girlfriend did not pay the deposit money requested by Masango but proceeded to make a police report leading to Masango’s arrest.
The court is in possession of extorting WhatsApp messages between the two parties as an exhibit.
Meanwhile, Masango is also facing another charge of possessing nude pictures and keeping pornographic videos in his cell phone.
It is the state’s case that on February 11 at Mutare Central Police, Masango was found in possession of six nude pictures of a lady and a pornographic video in his Samsung S6+ Edge mobile phone.
Masango is charged with possession of prohibited articles as defined in Section 26 (1) (a) of the Censorship and Entertainments Control Act Chapter 10:04.
Fletcher Karombe prosecuted.
