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Fungai Jachi Court Reporter
An Allan Wilson High School bursar and his assistant have each been sentenced to an effective five years in prison after they were convicted of stealing over $20 000 from the school. They need to pay back the money to avoid 10-year terms. Tonderai Nyabereka was jointly convicted with his assistant, Patience Berejena who was, however, sentenced in absentia after she fled before Harare magistrate Ms Mirriam Banda delivered judgment recently.

Ms Banda had initially sentenced the two to 15 years imprisonment but suspended five years of the sentence on condition of good behaviour and another five years on condition that Nyabereka and Berejena pay $20 830 restitution.

Prosecutor Ms Constance Ngombengombe, told the court that on May 23, the school headmaster discovered some discrepancies when he was going through the school’s financial records.

He discovered that after school fees were paid in cash, Nyabereka and Berejena would receipt in the direct deposit books instead of cash subsidiary books, creating an impression that the school fees was deposited into the school’s bank account.

Authorities from the School Development Association (SDA) were advised of the fraud and decided to carry out an investigation during which they checked the school’s financial records from as far back as October last year.

It was during the check that it emerged Nyabereka and Berejena receipted cash in the direct deposit books, which were used to receipt fees that would have been paid through bank deposits.

School children who were interviewed as part of the investigations, told the authorities that they had paid their fees in cash.

This raised suspicion that Nyabereka and Berejena were misappropriating funds.

The SDA demanded an audit of the financial books and it was discovered that $20 830 was missing. Nyabereka and Berejena failed to account for the money and the matter was reported, leading to their arrest.