Online Reporter
Zvikomborero Parafini
Two Harare men landed in the dock after they allegedly concealed information that they were in the same business with their employer, Open Gold Enterprises, which resulted in the loss of more than US$6 000 in revenue.
Open Gold Enterprises specialises in coach building and supplies truck body spares. The two, Kenneth Nyalugwe and Kennedy Chiwara, were not asked to plead when they appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Tapiwa Kuhudzai, who remanded them in custody for bail ruling.
The complainant is Open Gold Enterprises, which is represented by its director and shareholder, Mr Vincent Chawonza.
Nyalugwe is employed by the company as the administrator, while Chiwara is the workshop manager.
The court heard that on July 10, Nyalugwe did a quotation on behalf of Open Gold Enterprises to Superlinx Logistics valued at US$6 468 for the supply of door cappings.
On July 14, it is alleged that Nyalugwe mistakenly printed a quotation in the name of Fosterwell Investments on the company’s office printer.
Mr Chawonza then discovered that it was being sent to his client Superlinx Logistics, and his company’s products were being included in that quotation but valued at US$5 000.
Mr Chawonza then instructed Nyalugwe to bring his company laptop to his office, which was then inspected by his IT personnel in his presence.
The IT expert discovered a folder with seven quotations using Fosterwell Investments on the company laptop.
After being questioned, the duo stopped work and Chiwara refused to surrender the storeroom keys or respond to calls.
A stock take conducted revealed that 100 door cappings, each 5 meters in length, were missing from the storeroom under Chiwara’s control
Preliminary investigations indicated that Nyalugwe had supplied similar products to Superlinx Logistics under the name Fosterwell Investments, without the knowledge or approval of Mr Chawonza and his company, despite being employed by the company.
Due to the duo’s action, Mr Chawonza’s company suffered an actual prejudice of US$6 468,75 from the stolen property and business by the fact that the two were competitors while on the other hand still employed by Open Gold.
