Online Reporter
Zvikomborero Parafini-Zimpapers Reporter
Leading pharmaceutical firm Varichem Pharmaceuticals lost over US$347 000 to one of its workers, the Harare Magistrates Court heard on Wednesday.
The worker Milton Goremusandu was not asked to plead when he appeared before Harare magistrate Mrs Marehwanazvo Gofa charged with theft of trust property and money laundering.
He was remanded in custody to today for his bail ruling after the State opposed bail on the basis that he is a flight risk.
Prosecutor Rufaro Chonzi led evidence from the investigating officer Tedious Shenjere who told the court that upon hearing that his accomplice had been arrested, Goremusandu fled to South Africa which makes him an unsuitable candidate for bail.
The court heard that Goremusandu was employed as the firm’s credit controller at the material time and his duties included collection of cash from company debtors and cash sale customers and receipting the cash received from clients.
The court heard that at the beginning of this month, the firm’s finance manager mr Joel Muswa got a tip off from a whistle blower that Goremusandu and his subordinate Edwell Sibanda, the debtors clerk, were acting in cohorts to steal cash from the company.
Mr Muswa acted on the tip off and instituted a preliminary investigation and discovered that, during the period between 2021 and May 2025, Goremusandu collected US$252 930,25 from Trinity Pharmacy, US$36 350,34 from Vidamac Pharmaceuticals, US$33 220,12 from Asca Health
Care and US$24 829,28 from Care Point Pharmacy Chinhoyi, which are all Varichem’s clients, but did not bank or submit for banking the received cash.
The State alleged that Goremusandu then instructed Sibanda to initiate journal entries debiting customers who do not owe the company and crediting the paying customers to cover up the offence.
The two allegedly prejudiced their employer of US$347 329. The matter was reported to the police and Sibanda was arrested at work on May 14.
On May 18, the police went to Goremusandu’s residence and managed to recover a grey Toyota Fortuner estimated at US$60 000 and a white Toyota Corrolla Axio estimated at US$10 000 from his wife Miranda Rutendo Mativenga.
The two cars are registered in Goremusandu’s name and were bought during the period he committed the offences.
The total amount stolen was US$347 329,99 and two cars valued at US$70 000 were recovered.
