adminEmily Mbewe Chronicle Reporter
AN accountant at Townshend and Butcher in Bulawayo forged his employer’s signature 225 times and stole $106,000 in a period of two years, a court heard yesterday.
Stuart Woods, 39, allegedly forged the signature of Leondios Panayiotis, the company’s director, on ZB withdrawal slips and made unauthorised withdrawals from the company account.
Woods, whose duties included compiling company returns and banking, appeared before magistrate Glademore Mushove charged with forgery and fraud.
He pleaded guilty to 225 counts of forgery and fraud and was remanded in custody to August17 for sentencing.
Woods told the court that he defrauded his employer because he wanted to take care of his in-laws and family.
“Your worship I withdrew all that money because I was taking care of my family and my in-laws as the breadwinner. I also used part of the money to buy household furniture and two cars,” he said.
Woods begged the court to give him five years to reimburse his employer.
Prosecuting, Jerry Mutsindikwa said from January 3 to December 31, 2013, Woods would proceed to ZB bank situated along Jason Moyo in the city centre and withdraw cash ranging from $400 to $700 from the company’s bank account.
The court heard that the total amount of money he withdrew was $41,500 and he converted it to his own use.
Mutsindikwa told the court that the following year, from January 3 to December 31, 2014, Woods withdrew cash amounting to $37,800 after he went to the bank and forged his employer’s signature.
“From January 6 to August 7 this year, Woods withdrew $26,700 from the ZB account.
“He was withdrawing different amounts ranging from $150 per withdrawal,” said Mutsindikwa.
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