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Fungai Jachi Court Correspondent
Sterling Furnishing Company lost $27 000 to a former sales representative who allegedly forged and inflated bills, stole furniture and cash. Travolta Muponda (36) appeared before Mbare magistrate Mr Stanford Mambanje charged with fraud and two counts of theft. He was remanded to December 1 for trial continuation on free bail. Prosecuting, Mr Lawrence Gangarahwe alleged that between July 2014 and April this year Muponda was employed by Sterling Furnishing Company as a sales representative at the company’s Graniteside branch in Harare.
His duties included paying company’s expenses, the court heard. It is alleged during that period Muponda made counterfeit TelOne receipts and sent them to Sterling Furnishing’s head office in Bulawayo. The court heard he misrepresented to the company that an amount of $2 096 had to be paid to TelOne.
The matter came to light when the financial manager, Mr Poaa Mukwangwara, visited the Harare branch and discovered that the bill did not exist. It is the State’s case that in April this year, Muponda took company property without paying for it and also failed to surrender an HP laptop he used when he was still in Sterling Furnishing’s employment.
The value of the property he allegedly stole was put at $23 622.
Allegations are that Muponda also abused company funds amounting to $1 413, which he took from the company’s safe. The court heard that Makwangara discovered the alleged offence when he did a petty cash reconciliation. The matter was reported to police leading to Muponda’s arrest. The total amount prejudiced is $27 131 and nothing was recovered.
Online Reporter