Manager In $40 000 Fraud Case

Published: 2016 September 05 05:17:30 (5077 Views)

A manager with a freight and clearing company last week appeared in court for allegedly swindling his employer of more than $40 000.

Michael Razunguzwa (30), a branch manager with Alfa Freight International Ltd, based at the Harare International Airport, will stand trial on September 22.

Razunguzwa appeared before magistrate Arnold Maburo, who remanded him to his trial date. He is facing seven counts of theft of trust property.

Prosecutor Desire Chidanire alleged that sometime in October 2014, the complainant, Modester Mlambo, who is the director of Alfa Freight International Ltd, contracted KS Global, a Chinese company, to do shipping on behalf of her company.

Razunguzwa was supposed to deliver the goods to the company's clients and then pay KS Global for its services. In September last year, he reportedly delivered the goods and collected $9 089 and instead of remitting the money to KS Global, he converted it to personal use.

It is the State's case that on another occasion, Alfa Freight International Ltd was contracted to clear a consignment of 216 containers of rice by the Ministry of Public Service and Social Welfare, which was being imported from China.

However, Razunguzwa in turn sub-contracted Vision Freight Services based at Forbes Border Post on Zimbabwe's eastern border with Mozambique.

The consignment was then cleared by Vision Freight Services on behalf of Alfa Freight International.

The ministry later deposited $23 760 into Alfa Freight International's bank account as payment and Razunguzwa was supposed to pay $10 800 to Vision Freight. He, however, withdrew $21 400 on October 13 last year and pocketed it.

To cover up for the offence, he misrepresented to his employer that he used the money to pay duty yet in actual fact the rice was imported duty free.

The court further heard that Mlambo, who is based in the United Kingdom, purchased a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter and shipped it to Zimbabwe with instructions that the vehicle be registered in the company's name.

On January 24, Razunguzwa, it is alleged, proceeded to the Central Vehicle Registry and registered it in his name.

Mlambo also sent a mobile phone to be used for business purposes but Razunguzwa sold it for $700 and used the money, the State alleges.

Razunguzwa used the same methods to embezzle funds totalling to $40 903 and after committing the offences, he reportedly stopped reporting for duty and cut off all communication with Mlambo.

- Herald

Tags: Manager, fraud, court, ,

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