Socialite Dupes Restaurant $365 000 Worth Food, Disappears

A FAMOUS social media personality has been found guilty of not paying for food worth more than $364 500 at a local restaurant.

Kudakwashe Hove, also known as @iamhove on social media, pleaded guilty to defrauding Sabai Thai Restaurant in Harare’s Ballantyne Park.

He also admitted to stealing the restaurant’s manager’s cellphone, which had been left on the counter while he attended to other customers.

Hove will appear in court again today for sentencing.

According to the State, led by Shambadzeni Fungura, Hove went to the restaurant around 7 p.m. on January 10 and ordered a takeaway.

He then approached the cashier and informed her that he had paid for the takeout with a Zipit transaction.

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He then proceeded to send a fake confirmation message to the receiving mobile number and presented it to the cashier as “proof of payment,” according to the State.

The cashier processed the order after believing the confirmation message, but the con was discovered after Hove had already left the restaurant.

On this occasion, the restaurant was defrauded of food worth $96 300.

On January 12, Hove returned to the same restaurant around 5pm and ordered food worth $268 200.

He used the same modus operandi and went way after producing another fake proof of payment.

He was busted when he tried his luck for the third time and handed over to the police.-H Metro