adminSenior Court Reporter
BARCLAYS Bank was allegedly defrauded of $20 000 through a seven-day internal fraud involving a bank teller at the bank’s Rusape branch.
The suspect, Langton Farai Munyati (28), of House Number 580, Arcacia Avenue, Rusape, was handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) by fellow workmates — among them the branch manager — following the detection of the anomaly during routine reconciliations last Saturday.
The offence was allegedly committed from October 21 to October 30, 2014.
Munyati (28) was on Monday hauled before Rusape provincial magistrate, Mr Shingi Mutiro, on theft charges.
He was not asked to plead.
Munyati was represented by Mr Taura Khupe, of Chigadza and Associates Legal Practitioners who successfully applied for bail.
The State led by Mr Tumbare opposed bail, but Mr Mutiro ruled in favour of the defence, leading to Munyati’s release on $150 bail.
He was whisked away in a taxi by relatives.
The suspected fraudster will be back in the dock on December 1 for routine remand.
Mr Tumbare said the theft was allegedly committed from the period spanning October 21 to 31.
It was discovered during an internal accounts reconciliation that Munyati had allegedly stolen $19 891 from his employer.
The money which was meant for customers was entrusted to him for placement in the bank safety vault. Mr Tumbare further argued that instead of placing the money in the vault, Munyati allegedly stole part of it.
The shortfall, Mr Tumbare told the court, was discovered last Saturday, leading to his arrest.
Mr. Khupe said his client’s hands were clean as he did not steal the money.
The public gallery was packed on Munyati’s initial remand appearance as news of his arrest made rounds during the weekend.
Court officials had to move extra benches from other rooms to cater for the increased number of people who wanted to hear probably the biggest fraud case in Rusape’s financial services sector since the introduction of the multiple currency system five years ago.
Online Reporter