Director cleared

with the company’s salaries officer Abraham Katerere, to swindle the national airline of US$69 841,22.
Mujere was removed from remand following an application for removal of remand through his lawyer Mr Nickiel Mushangwe of Mushangwe and Company Legal practitioners.
Mujere had argued that the State failed to provide enough evidence to link him to the crime and place him on remand.
Harare Magistrate Mr Don Ndirowei ruled in favour of Mujere saying the State had failed to furnish the court with enough evidence to prove that he connived with Katerere who committed the alleged crime.
The State had alleged that Mujere granted leave days to Katerere who fled to the United Kingdom after being fore-warned that an audit was going to be conducted in January.
“The State failed to prove that my client created ghost workers in connivance with Katerere and his duty was to conduct spot checks and not make comprehensive analysis.
“The State is speculating that since Mujere was Katerere’s manager, he could have granted leave days to make him escape where as it is possible for one to escape from the country without being given the leave days,” Mr Mushangwe said.
Prosecutor Ms Svodai Kadivirire alleged that Mujere was the company’s finance manager when he committed the crime.
The court heard that his duties included checking the payroll to establish if salaries corresponded with the number of workers.
It is alleged that between February 2009 and January this year, Katerere made salary payments into four CBZ Bank accounts in the names of people not employed by Air Zimbabwe.
The State said, Mujere authorised the payroll compiled by Katerere, while ignoring the ghost workers.
The accused, the State alleges, would withdraw the money and use it.
The alleged crime came to light when internal auditors discovered the anomaly.