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SUSPENDED NetOne regional manager for Matabeleland Douglas Mufunda has been found not guilty and acquitted of another case of fraud where he was being accused of allegedly writing off a debt without the knowledge of his superiors. Mufunda was jointly charged with Sikhanyiselwe Sibanda (39) who was also found not guilty.
Mufunda (57), of 10 Lincon Avenue in Hillside Bulawayo was last week acquitted on other charges of allegedly demanding a bribe from a client and overcharging sim cards.
Discharging Mufunda and Sibanda, Bulawayo magistrate Mr Crispen Mberewere said there was no evidence that the two had written off $6 750 which was being owed by a client, Scutary Trading.
He said there was also no evidence that the two misrepresented that the money had been paid because even Scutary Trading director Sibangilizwe Gumbo testified in court that he still owed NetOne while the company’s internal auditors also established that the client was still in arrears.
Mr Mberewere said Scutary Trading had not benefited from the alleged writing off of the debt and as such there was no evidence that the money was removed from the NetOne books as alleged.
Mufunda and Sibanda had pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Allegations were that Mufunda and Sibanda, of 14514 Intundla Avenue, Selbourne Park in 2005 authorised Scutary Trading as a dealer to sell airtime recharge cards on a seven day credit facility.
In September 2009, NetOne Bulawayo branch gave Scutary 2 000 airtime recharge cards, each with five strips of $1, and was supposed to remit $8 750.
The court was told that the dealer failed to remit the money and there was allegedly no effort by Mufunda and Sibanda to recover the debt.
Internal auditors asked Sibanda to justify the transaction but she allegedly failed and she advised her boss Mufunda to make a follow up on the debt, the court was told.
Mufunda allegedly collected $2 000 from Scutary Trading leaving a balance of $6 750.
The company reported a case of fraud after forensic auditors discovered that $6 750 was missing and alleged that Mufunda and Sibanda had tried to write off the debt without notifying the superiors.
Mr Jeremiah Mutsindikwa appeared for the State.
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