Clerks nabbed for fraud

Post Reporter
TWO accounts clerks employed by Bonda Mission Hospital were slapped with 12-month jail terms each after they were found guilty of stealing money from the health institution since 2011. The duo – Mauka Zvichauya (37) and Eugenia Masakure – stole $657 and $719 respectively through under invoicing.

Public prosecutor Mr Zivanai Gombarume told the court that the duties of the suspects were, among other things, to receipt cash received from patients and bank the cash collected.

On several occasions since 2011 they received money from patients, but wrote different figures from the original receipt given to the patient and the carbon copy that remained in the receipt book.

The original receipt given to the patient reflected the actual amount paid but the accused persons wrote small figures on the carbon copy and pocketed the difference.

The crimes were exposed on September 28 this year after a patient who had been treated at the hospital and paid her hospital bill in full was shocked to see summons from a debt collector at her home.

“The summons stated that she owed the hospital some money which was now overdue for payment. She approached the hospital with her receipt which showed that she had paid the amount in full. Hospital officials checked their records and found out that the carbon copy of her receipt showed a figure less than the amount written on the original receipt in her possession,” he said.

An audit was done which unearthed the scandal.
Nyanga provincial magistrate Mr Ignatio Mhene sentenced them to 12 months in jail, six months suspended for five years on usual conditions.
The remaining six months were also suspended on condition that they restituted the hospital the stolen money.