Cop up for theft

Fungai Lupande Court Reporter

The chief clerk at Police General Headquarters (PGHQ) yesterday appeared in court accused of stealing $1 500 from the police welfare fund. Elias Kasimo (41) appeared before Harare magistrate Ms Bianca Makwande facing fraud charges. He was remanded to October 14 for his trial date.The complainant is PGHQ Crime Department Welfare Fund represented by Superintendent Robert Majada.The prosecutor Mr Peter Kachirika alleged that on March 1, 2014 PGHQ crime department established a welfare fund with the objective of providing financial assistance to its members.

Members paid monthly subscriptions to the fund.Kasimo was appointed as the treasurer of the fund and his duties included receiving subscriptions and banking the money into the fund’s POSB bank account.

He also prepared financial statements and reports for the fund.The court heard that between January 22 and July 12 this year Kasimo received $1 500 as monthly subscriptions and loan repayments. It is alleged Kasimo did not deposit the money into the bank account and instead converted it to personal use.

On June 24, this year during a meeting between chief staff officer, crime and members of the welfare fund Kasimo showed them a fake POSB bank statement as proof that the money was accounted for.

He advised the meeting that the current balance was $1 063, 96. Suspicious of the bank statement, on July 27 chief staff officer requested another bank statement from POSB. The court heard that the second bank statement reflected a balance of $68,24.