Chronicle Editor
Caroline Mutsawu, Online Reporter
FOUR Zimbabwe Power Company employees and a driver contracted to transport fuel for the parastatal, have been arrested after they allegedly connived to steal more than 6 000 litres of diesel worth US$11 000 from the company.
Friday Vareta a loss control officer, Gerald Madzimure a boiler and turbine operator, Chido Makoni the performance department officer, Fadzai Hilda Sithole a clerk and Joseph Munasi a driver, were arrested on Christmas Eve last year after police received a tip-off that they were in the business of stealing diesel from the electricity generating company’s consignment.
An investigation was instituted and a team of ZPC and police officers laid an ambush as the accused attended to the diesel truck.
The accused allegedly understated the amount of delivered diesel and would leave with the remainder.
Upon checking the stores transaction book, it was discovered that the amounts delivered and what was recorded was not tallying.
It was discovered that the accused had delivered 35 622 litres of diesel instead of 41 912 litres they had indicated, showing a shortfall of 6 383 litres of diesel valued at US$11 106.42.
The accused attempted to alter figures to match with the ones obtained after a monitored dipping process.
The matter was reported to the police resulting in the arrest of the five.
Vareta, Madzimure, Makoni, Sithole and Munasi appeared before Hwange provincial magistrate Ms Lindiwe Maphosa recently and were remanded in custody to 27 June next week.
For the State, Ms Jamesina Makanza said the offence was committed on 22 December last year.
“The team saw the trucks approaching the weighbridge and laid an ambush at the pump house where there was a clear view of the decanting bay. The trucks were allowed in and drove to the decanting bay around 7pm whereupon three of the accused started dipping to check the fuel.
“Makoni and Sithole were recording figures and the driver connected the coupling hose after the dipping had finished while others went to the performance office for verification of figures purporting to have offloaded all the fuel,” said the prosecutor.
The investigating team then approached the accused whereupon the offence was discovered.
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Online Reporter