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Yeukai Karengezeka

Court Correspondent

FORMER Croco Motors parts manager Stephen Matinyarare and accomplice Stephen Chafachaipa have been convicted of defrauding their employer of $107 484 633.

The duo returns before Harare regional magistrate Mr Ngoni Nduna today for sentencing.

Matinyarare was employed as parts manager and Chafachaipa as receiving clerk up until September 2020 and their duties were to receive and manage stocks of motor spare parts on behalf of Croco Motors.

Prosecutor Mrs Cecilia Mashingaidze proved that on separate dates, acting in connivance, they stole car parts, covering-up their shady deals by entering irregular adjustments into the company computer system to balance the company stocks.

On September 23, 2020, an internal audit unearthed the irregular stock adjustments made by the two. When the internal auditors asked for explanations, Matinyarare revealed that he had some of the spare parts at his home and some parts were recovered there.

Meanwhile, properties belonging to Matinyarare were last year forfeited to the State after the court established that he acquired them using proceeds of crime between 2016 and 2020.