adminThandeka Moyo Court Correspondent
FORMER British American Tobacco Company of Zimbabwe (BAT) regional manager Simba Chiriya and two other employees connived and defrauded the company of $23,000 since 2009.Chiriya, 36, Mandizvidza Biza, 43 and Robson Ngulube, 56, appeared in court on Friday.
They appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Gladmore Mushove charged with two counts of theft and contravening a section of the Criminal Law Codification and Reform. They were granted $400 bail for the first count and $200 for the second count.
It is the State’s case that between 2009 and 2013 on different occasions, Chiriya and Biza allegedly took company money and diverted it to their own use.
An audit was carried out, which unearthed the scam and showed that BAT was deprived of about $17,982. The money was fully recovered through the benefits of the accused persons.
For the second count, Chiriya allegedly connived with one of his juniors to forge signatures to claim for daily allowances meant for employees.
The courts also heard that the allowances were authorised from Harare and Chiriya was issued with an authorisation letter to go and withdraw cash from the company account.
After withdrawing cash the accused was supposed to surrender the cash. However, Chiriya allegedly ordered Ngulube to forge signatures of the distribution representatives on the weekly expense return sheets as if the employees received their allowances.
An audit carried out and $7,500 of company revenue was unaccounted for.
Online Reporter