Online Reporter
Yeukai Karengezeka
Court Correspondent
AN accounts clerk at M.A. Auto Suppliers in Harare will serve 420 hours of community service after being convicted of theft of company funds totalling US$3 500.
Lorraine Mawema was found guilty of converting company funds amounting to US$3 500 for personal purposes.
Harare magistrate Ms Lynne Chinzou sentenced Mawema to two years in prison. Six months were suspended on condition that she does not commit a similar offence within the next five years, and an additional six months were suspended on condition that she pays back the stolen money by January 27 next year.
The remaining year of her sentence was suspended as long as she serves 420 hours of community service. Prosecutor Ms Kudzai Mudzamiri told the court that on June 24, at around 8 am, the finance manager instructed Mawema to hand over all the cash in her custody.
After repeated delays and excuses, the finance manager became suspicious.
Mawema then confessed that she had used the US$3 500 to buy a motor vehicle, which she intended to resell for profit. The finance manager reported the matter to Marlborough Police Station, leading to Mawema’s arrest.
The money was never recovered.
In another case, the trial of Michael Smith, who allegedly defrauded M.A. Auto Suppliers, the company which trades as Mr Cruiser, of at least US$38 000 and R124 000, was postponed to February 11.
Smith is facing two counts of theft of trust property, 12 counts of fraud, and 25 counts of corruptly concealing transactions from his employer.
The complainant is Mr Michael Scott Asher. The State alleges that Smith failed to disclose that the company was paying South African suppliers through a third party, Mant Procurement (Pvt) Ltd. It is further alleged that Smith created Mant Procurement to inflate costs, with the excess funds shared between Smith and his accomplice, Tony Oatley.
