Trial of ex-Natprint bosses yet to start

Tendai Rupapa Senior Court Reporter
The trial of two Natprint (Pvt) Ltd former bosses, who allegedly swindled their employer of over $400 000 in 2014, is yet to commence following the disappearance of one of them.

Majahawodwa Dubindlela (41), who was employed as cost and management accountant, is jointly charged with the company’s former finance manager, Ladios Maphosa.

Dubindlela’s whereabouts are not known. Prosecutor Mr Ephraim Zinyandu sent the docket to the Area Public Prosecutor for determination on whether to proceed to trial with one suspect or wait for the arrest of his alleged accomplices. The complainant in the matter is Zimbabwe Newspapers, being represented by its loss control officer.

The pair allegedly committed the offence in connivance with Nyasha Munorwei, who was employed as a cash book clerk responsible for keeping the float cash. It is the State’s case that sometime between January and December 2014, the accused persons hatched a plan to defraud their paymaster.

Acting outside his job descriptions, Munorwei allegedly prepared and approved the company’s inventory journals in a manner that prejudiced the company of its stock levels that included paper and board, litho ink stocks, photo film stocks and machine oil.

He purported that the stocks were either delivered or received by Natprint, indicating that payments were made. An audit carried out showed that the stocks recorded in the books could not tally with the stocks received by the company.

The State further alleged that some of the company’s records were updated with false information. In some instances, there were no invoices, goods received vouchers or receipts of goods paid for by the company.

On December 31 of that year, it was discovered that physical paper and board stock held by the company was valued at $16 767,99, whereas in the system they recorded that it was valued at $230 266,30, resulting in a shortfall of $213 508. Also litho ink that was in stock was worth $117 196,33, while records showed a stock balance worth $241 853,38, thus revealing a shortfall of $124 657,05.

The court also heard that they recorded $9 674,10 worth of photo film stock in the books, while the stock in the company was valued at $1 559,65, thereby prejudicing the company of $9 674,10.

The State further alleged that during that time, there was no machine oil in the company, but the records showed otherwise as they indicated that the company had bought oil worth $551,69.

The audit revealed that the accused persons allegedly misrepresented entries and records, made fictitious stock purchases and false cash withdrawals.

It is further alleged they also made duplicate payments, thereby prejudicing the company of a total of $407 746, which they failed to account for.

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