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Tendai Rupapa Senior Court Reporter
Ministry of Finance and Economic Development officials accused of swindling their employer of close to $800 000 through underhand dealings with the help of habitual fraudsters they hired in Harare, will face trial on June 15 at the High Court.

The ministry’s principal accountant, Mr Brian Nyazamba (34), Christopher Kumisai (35), Tonderai Musekiwa (42), Felix Rimaunga (age not given), Tinashe Jakopo (46), Anthony Romeo Tafirenyika (36), Rangarirai Katsande (44) and Madzudzu Mudzimba (37) last week appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Tendai Mahwe and were served with their indictment papers for trial at the High Court.

Their alleged accomplice, Thomas Mawoyo (35), who is the ministry’s accountant, was issued with a warrant of arrest after he failed to appear in court.

The gang was out on bail and was remanded in custody to June 15 pending trial. They now need to make a fresh bail application at the High Court.

The group is being represented by Ms Rekai Maphosa, Mr Allan Moyo, Mr Walter Bherebhende and Mr Nickel Mushangwe. According to the State, led by Miss Sharon Mashavira, Kumisai was once convicted of fraud involving $20 000 at Beitbridge Magistrates Court and was sentenced to two years in prison.

Rimaunga, also an ex-convict, was once sentenced to three years in prison for fraud involving $30 000, while Katsande and Mudzimba also have pending fraud cases before the same court. It is the State’s case that on December 23 and 24 last year, the accused persons, acting in connivance, fraudulently opened four bank accounts with BancABC and Steward Bank in the names of non-existent companies. It is alleged they used company names like Nico Orgo (Pvt) Limited, Pioneer Hibred (Pvt) Limited and Green Field Investments (Pvt) Ltd.

The accounts were opened by Jakopo, Tafirenyika, Katsande and Mudzimba using fake names. On December 29 and acting in connivance, Nyazamba and Mawoyo processed fake invoices that they later submitted to the Accountant General’s office for payment.

They submitted names of the non-existent firms and attached a fake covering letter purportedly originating from Kudakwashe Zata, the finance director in the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development, to the effect that the said companies had supplied inputs worth $412 095 and were due for payment.

On that same day, it is alleged the Ministry acted on the fake documents and instructed FBC Bank to effect a transfer of $220 050 into the accused’s BancABC account and $192 045 into a Steward Bank account. Between December 31 last year and January this year, it is alleged, the gang withdrew a total of $407 785 and transferred $92 750 into FBC Bank account and $79 915 into Steward Bank account. While using the same method, the State alleges that on January 5 the gang submitted another fake invoice worth $317 250 in the name of Pioneer Hibred to the Accountant General’s office for payment.

The Ministry of Finance and Economic Development acted on the fake documents and instructed FBC Bank to transfer $317 250 into accused’s BancABC account.

The offence came to light on January 15 when the Ministry of Agriculture requested the Ministry of Finance to release funds to Reapers (Pvt) Ltd, Zimbabwe Fertiliser Company and Windmill (Pvt) Ltd, but was surprised to learn that the bank balance was insufficient to meet the payments.