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Loveness Mpofu, Sunday News Reporter
AN assistant accountant at the Labour Court in Bulawayo could not resist the lure of money passing through his hands every day and allegedly manipulated more than 157 receipts in the process swindling the Judicial Service Commission of $17 350.
Abraham Mpofu (34), from Gwabalanda in Bulawayo, allegedly misrepresented and tempered with carbon copy receipts resulting in Misrepresentation, as the amount which appeared on the carbon copy receipts was less compared to that which was on the file copy.
Mpofu appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Mr Sithembiso Ncube last Saturday, facing 157 counts of fraud. He pleaded not guilty and was remanded to Tuesday for commencement of trial. He was granted bail and asked to pay a $300 deposit.
The magistrate said Mpofu should not interfere with State witnesses, and reside at the given address until the matter is finalised. He was also instructed to report once a week on Fridays at Luveve Police Station between 6am and 6pm.
Mpofu is an accounting assistant whose duties are receipting money from clients, banking of the receipted money; post the receipts in the cash book and recording all daily transactions in the cash book.
It is alleged that on 20 September, chief accountant Mr Mudekunye Naison (46), who is representing the JSC, visited the Bulawayo Labour Court, in the company of Mr Muchaneta Bangomwe (Examiner of Guardian’s Fund) and Mr Evidence Chikuni (accountant) to check the receipt books.
The purpose of the visit was to check whether money received was banked properly, ascertain whether amounts paid by clients were as per JSC tariff, and checking the general maintenance of the books of the accounts.
Upon checking the books of accounts, they discovered that the receipts in the files had different amounts compared to the carbon copy receipts. Police were then called leading to his arrest.
Mrs Grace Zhou prosecuted. -@lvydvy1
derick.khumalo