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Senior Court Reporter
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has been granted an order by the High Court to seize properties believed to have been acquired by two former Croco Motors employees after they defrauded the automotive company of $107 484 633 sometime in 2020.
Through its Assets Forfeiture Department, the NPA was granted the order to seize Joseph Matinyarare and Stephen Chafachaipa’s various properties pending their forfeiture, in the event that they are found guilty of the offence.
Matinyarare and Chafachaipa are currently going through trial at the Harare Magistrates Court on fraud charges.
The two denied the charges when they appeared before regional magistrate Mr Ngoni Nduna.
According to the State, the duo was employed as parts manager and receiving clerk up until September 2020, according to the State.
Their duties, according to the State, were to receive and manage stock of motor spare parts on behalf of Croco Motors.
It is alleged that on separate dates, acting in connivance, they allegedly stole various car parts.
The court heard that they would cover-up their shady deals by entering into the company computer system irregular adjustments to balance the company stocks.
On September 23, 2020 an internal audit was undertaken and unearthed the irregular stock adjustments made by the two.
It is said that internal auditors requested for explanations on the discrepancies on the stocks record and Matinyarare revealed that he had some of the spare parts at his place of residence.
According to the State, some of the parts were recovered from Matinyarare’s place.
On Friday, an internal auditor, Lloyd Munyaradzi Chingoriwo, who conducted the audit testified in court.
He told the court that while reviewing the inventory movements in the system at Croco Motors Graniteside business unit, he noticed that some adjustments were made with an effect of writing off stock from the system inventory.
He said no sales were being realised from the adjustments.
Chingoriwo indicated that writing off of stock was only done after a list of parts to be written off has been duly authorised by the company executive and Internal Audit has verified the status of the parts.
He said they had no record of parts write offs.
Chingoriwo said he also noticed that Chafachaipa was also writing off stocks from the system through the same adjustments from 2019 to 2020.
He told the court that the stocks were written off through the adjustments were not in the warehouse, meaning they would have been taken out.
Mrs Cecilia Mashingaidze appeared for the State.
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