DIRECTOR BLOWS US$200K DONATED BY GERMAN NGO

Zvikomborero Parafini

KUNZWANA Women’s Association director, Sekayi Wade, has been accused of embezzling about US$200 000 from funds donated by a German NGO.

The funds were earmarked for the provision of entrepreneurship opportunities to former farm workers in rural Zimbabwe.

This was supposed to be done through Project A-ZWE-2017 0332, which was to run from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2020.

The German NGO, Evangelisches Werk Fur Diakonie and Entwicklung, provided Sekayi with US$466 000 to run the project.

However, an audit revealed that she had converted most of the money to her own use.

Sekayi allegedly transferred US$88 765 into her Barclays Bank account in the UK and US$90 000 to her BancABC Bank account in Zimbabwe.

She is also accused of using some of the money to pay her sons’ school fees in the UK.

Sekayi appeared before Harare regional magistrate Feresi Chakanyuka, who granted her $500 000 bail.

The State said Sekayi transferred US$9 000 and US$17 500 to her sons, Mationesa and Chikomborero Wade, in the UK to pay school fees.

It said Sekayi would raise fictitious quotations, invoices and receipts purporting to have bought cars for the beneficiaries and paid service providers assisting in the projects’ implementation.

The offence came to light after an audit was conducted and Sekayi failed to explain how she had used US$205 265 meant for the beneficiaries.