Online Reporter
Prosper Dembedza
Herald Correspondent
A FORMER finance manager at Taicom Investments (Private) Limited, trading as Spraytech Panel Beaters (Pvt) Ltd, has produced evidence in court alleging that the company smuggled goods into Zimbabwe and used informal money changers to transfer funds to South Africa for the purchase of supplies.
The allegations emerged in the trial of Owen Chikonyora, who is facing charges of allegedly stealing US$88 554 from his former employer.
Chikonyora, who is represented by Mr Liveours Mundieta of Mundieta and Wagoneka-Madzivanyika Law Chambers, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
In his defence, Chikonyora told the court that the funds in question were deposited into his personal bank accounts with the approval of the company’s finance director before being handed over to money changers for onward transmission to suppliers in South Africa.
The complainant, Taicom Investments (Private) Limited t/a Spraytech Panel Beaters (Pvt) Ltd, is represented by its head of Legal Compliance and Human Capital, Mr Mutsanai Gareth Nyamukura.
The court heard that Chikonyora was employed as the company’s finance manager, with responsibilities that included processing employees’ salaries and making payments for goods and services procured by the business.
It is the State’s case that during the accused’s term of employment, he hatched a plan to steal from the complainant.
Chikonyora allegedly had his own personal Nedbank account number 11992355877 and he also owned a company called Chilywen Investments Pvt Ltd, with his wife.
Chilywen Investments Pvt Ltd, the court heard, also had a Nedbank account number 11992348358
It is alleged that from December 2023 to March 2025 and on 46 occasions, Chikonyora transferred various amounts of money from the complainant’s Company Bank account into accounts 11992355877 and 11992348358.
The accused was making these payments to his personal and company bank account for services which he knew that the company had not rendered to his employer or supplied any products.
Chikonyora would allegedly also duplicate his salary payments to his personal account. The offence came to light after an external audit was conducted by Topline Reign Solutions, which discovered how the offence was committed.
The total value stolen is US$88 554.15 and nothing was covered. However, during the cross-examination of the company’s finance director, Raoul Savania, documents of transactions were produced by defence lawyer Mr Mundieta which indicate the money would be withdrawn and sent to one Thiago Velosso of South Africa.
“The accused person will tell this honourable court that he would withdraw the money from his account, and he would at your (Savania) instruction transfer the money through money changers to South Africa, to purchase the company supplies from Thiago Velosso at Ceramic Pro South Africa, can you dispute that because I have evidence here to that effect?” Mr Mundieta asked.
He went further, putting it to Mr Savania that his company would then smuggle the company products into Zimbabwe using a Zimra official only identified as Nomore Phiri.
Mr Mundieta produced receipts of transactions which he alleged were some of the evidence of money laundering being sent to money changers and transfers to South Africa Ceramic Pro for supplies.
