Man Swindles Company of US$190k

Online Writer, Patrick Chitumba

A Chivhu man has been arrested for allegedly swindling a Chinese firm of more than US$190,000.

Appearing for initial remand before Gweru Magistrate Ms Beaulity Dube yesterday was Tongesai Moses Svidzi (35) of Plot 10, Manzi Farm, Chivhu, facing one count of fraud.

Svidzi, who was represented by prominent Gweru lawyer Mr Esau Mandipa of Mandipa, Makwara, and Chikukwa Legal Practice, was not asked to plead and was remanded in custody to April 1.

Prosecutor Ms Ruvimbo Mtemeri told the court that Svidzi and his accomplice, Takunda Dube, who is still at large, allegedly defrauded Jin Yi Enterprise Pvt (Ltd) during the period extending from March 31, 2023, to September 30 last year.

She told the court that Svidzi was employed as a general hand, while Dube was employed as a Human Resources and Administration Officer.

Ms Mtemeri said Dube’s duties, among others, included compiling the company’s payment application bill forms and submitting them to the cashier, who would then proceed to effect payments according to the details provided in the payment application bill.

“Acting in connivance, Dube changed the NSSA FBC bank account that the company was using to deposit its monthly NSSA contributions and replaced it with the accused Tongesai Moses Svidzi’s personal STANBIC Bank account number on the company payment application bill forms,” she said.

The court heard that Dube submitted the doctored account number belonging to Svidzi to the cashier, Zhao Dongnaya.

“They misrepresented to the cashier, who, from March 2023 to September 2024, unaware of the accused person’s actions and acting on the accused’s misrepresentation, would effect the payments into the accused’s personal account instead of the NSSA bank account. The accused would then proceed to convert the money to his personal use, thereby prejudicing the company of a total amount of US$195,251.85,” she said.

Ms Mtemeri said evidence linking the accused to the commission of the crime was found in the form of a stolen radio and bank statements for the accused’s personal accounts.

The total amount prejudiced was US$195,251.85.