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Prosper Dembedza Court Correspondent

Two Lanwood Trading (Pvt) Ltd Mega Save employees have appeared in court on allegations of defrauding their employer of more than US$8 000 in botched goods delivery deals.

Enock Mhembere (41), who is the chief buyer and Munyaradzi Mapfumo who is the Information & Technology manager were facing fraud charges when they appeared before Harare magistrate Mrs Gloria Takundwa.

The court heard that on February 5, 2021, Membere purchased 1 000 x 10kg bags of silo roller meal from Grain Marketing Board, Harare, and the consignment was supposed to be delivered to Lanwood Trading (Pvt) Ltd Mega Save’s Glendale branch.

It is the State’s case that Mhembere hatched a plan and connived with Mapfumo to steal from the company, and without the complainant’s consent, he directed the driver to deliver the consignment to Laddmore Investments, instead of delivering it to Glendale.

The court heard that Mhembere then failed to supply an invoice to the company’s finance office supporting the Glendale delivery.

It is alleged that on the following day, Mapfumo was sent by Mhembere to collect the payment of the consignment from the owner of Laddmore Investments and was given US$4 000-00 by Laddmore Investments’ but the payment never reached Lanwood Trading (Pvt) Ltd, Mega Save’s accounts office.

The court heard that the complainant found out that the transaction processed for the consignment was deleted from the company’s ledger by Mapfumo.

The total value goods stolen is $430 000-00 and nothing was recovered.

Circumstances on the second count are that on November 24, 2020, Mhembere purchased 200 boxes of eggs from Irvines Waterfalls and connived with Mapfumo to steal from the company.

It is alleged that Mhembere instructed the driver to deliver the consignment to Laddmore Investments at number 9 Rezende Street in Harare instead of delivering the consignment in Glendale.

Mhembere, the court heard, failed to supply an invoice to the company’s finance office supporting the Glendale delivery.

The court heard that the transaction processed for the consignment was deleted from the company’s ledger to conceal the offence.

The total value stolen is ZW$724 389-00 and nothing was recovered.

The two accused persons used the same modus operandi to defraud their employer and on count three they defrauded him of $917 100 and on count four, for $712 296.