A daring Bulawayo-based national pool player who swindled fellow members of over $6 000 in bereavement contributions after faking his father’s death, has been slapped with a two-year suspension.
The player, Clemence Gutse who recently signed for newbies Starton Lounge Pool Club is accused of having used the mobile phone of an accomplice, a well-known billiards player, in a bid to ‘authenticate’ the fiddle that his father had passed away in Gweru.
The mobile phone used reportedly belongs to McDonald Muvuti, who is popularly known in pool circles as Saddam.
The hoax attracted the sympathy of national pool players and officials who pooled together over $6 000 to help the “bereaved” Gutse.
The fake claims came to light after a member of the Gutse family raised alarm and concurrently dismissed the bereavement claims as false.
This resulted in the National Elite Pool Players Association of Zimbabwe (NEPPAZ) effecting the suspension of Gutse and the reimbursement of unsuspecting members who had been duped of their hard-earned monies.
“It’s true that Clemence Gutse recently faked his father’s death. The development forced a number of pool players and officials to contribute over $6 000 which was meant to help the Gutse family in its supposed time of need,” NEPPAZ disciplinary committee member, Emmanuel Charuka told the state media.
“With some people in the pool fraternity smelling a rat, one of the Gutse family members was quick to raise alarm and dismiss everything. While we are happy that people were reimbursed their hard earned cash, the NEPPAZ disciplinary committee handed the player a two-year ban from the game,” he said.
State Media
