Zvikomborero Parafini
A FOURTH Harare City Council employee has been hauled before the Harare Magistrates’ Court in connection with an alleged US$15 479 fraud scheme involving stolen council receipts and payments made by a hotel owner.
Prosper Makusha (36), a dispatch clerk at the council’s Central Stores, appeared before Harare magistrate Tapiwa Kuhudzai yesterday facing fraud charges.
He is jointly charged with three other council employees, Emmanuel Mashoko, Shingirayi Chiwara and Julius Muteera, who were previously arrested and released on bail.
The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) alleges that the four connived to steal official council receipts and divert money intended for the local authority.
According to court papers, the alleged scheme began on May 21 this year when Mashoko, who was stationed as a cashier at the council’s Mbare Hostels District Offices, was issued a batch of official receipts by his supervisor, Chipo Chikanya.
Prosecutors allege that Mashoko stole 19 receipts from the batch and handed them to Chiwara after receiving US$60, which had allegedly been sent by Makusha to facilitate their release.
The stolen receipts were allegedly intended for use outside the council’s official revenue collection system.
Investigations established that Muteera subsequently received US$15 479 from the owner of Ocean Hotel, identified in court papers as Mrs Long Ma, purportedly for payment to Harare City Council for a certificate of occupation.
The State alleges that the four employees connived to falsify payment records using receipt number 16246207, creating the impression that the hotel had paid US$15 479 to the council.
The payment was allegedly recorded against Stand Number 19528 STL, Churchill Avenue East, Harare, where Ocean Hotel is situated.
However, investigations revealed that the receipt had been printed from an unauthorised source and the transaction had never been captured in the council’s official revenue system.
The four allegedly shared the money among themselves, prejudicing Harare City Council of US$15 479.
The money has not been recovered.
