Mbare tutor convicted of stealing exam fees

Exam fees meant for Cambridge got pocketed instead, leaving a parent thousands of dollars lighter and a fake-college operator staring at fraud convictions.

Fraud case against Richmore Sairos

• Richmore Sairos ran an unregistered outfit called Shekinah Elite Academy in Mbare.
• Harare magistrate Nyaradzo Manokore found him guilty on three counts.
• Charges covered fraud and theft tied to Cambridge Ordinary Level fees.
• Prosecutor Takudzwa Mutyavaviri laid out the paper trail in court.

First child registration scam

• Richmore Sairos collected US$700 in April 2022 for one learner.
• That cash was meant for a Nostro transfer to the British Council.
• Instead, Sairos kept the funds and cooked up a fake statement.
• Trouble surfaced before the June exams when registration glitches were claimed.

Second payment for two siblings

• Richmore Sairos later pitched registration for two more children.
• Seven subjects each required US$1 312 in total fees.
• Their parent handed over the money on June 7, 2022.
• Rather than remit it, Sairos fabricated bank confirmation receipts.

How the scheme collapsed

• Richmore Sairos told the parent that there was a Cambridge board error.
• Verification with the beneficiary account exposed bogus receipts.
• Investigators confirmed no payments ever reached the British Council.
• Arrest followed once the missing transfers were established.