ZIMDEF duped $4m

Senior Court Reporter

FORMER account and expenditure manager at Zimbabwe Manpower Development Fund (ZIMDEF) last week appeared in court on allegations on manufacturing receipts and bank’s proof of payments to appear as if he had paid rentals for an apartment at Willowvale Flats, which belongs to his ex-employer.

Geofree Nyagadza, who resigned from work on February 22 this year after his misdeeds were unearthed, appeared before Harare magistrate Mrs Yeukai Dzuda charged with fraud.

He was not asked to plead to the charges and was remanded to March 28 on $20 000 bail.

The court heard that between November 2020 and January 8 Nyagadza allegedly doctored receipts and proof of payment to appear as if he had transferred $135 981 from his First Capital Bank into ZIMDEF account for rentals.

It is also alleged that between March and December 2021 Nyagadza altered payment schedules to instruct CBZ Bank to transfer money from ZIMDEF account into Market Force Trading which deals in stationery and IT material.

The court heard that he doctored payment schedules in the name of Doctor Nkomo Polytech, Roberton Building, City of Harare and Mutare Polytech amounting to $4 000 173.

Allegations are that Nyagadza would then email the doctored payment schedules to CBZ for payments to Market Force Trading.

After payments were made, Nyagadza would go to Market Force Trading, collect stationery equivalent to the amounts transferred from CBZ and sign on behalf of ZIMDEF.

The State alleges that Nyagadza had no business relationship with Market Forces Trading.