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Panashe Machakaire Herald Reporter
A former Petrozim Line Private (Pvt) Limited general manager Christine Katsande and her accomplice appeared in court on Wednesday after they stole $156 000 from the company through a tender scam last year.

Katsande and Zadzisai Zaccharia Chizema appeared before Harare magistrate Rumbidzai Mugwagwa on theft charges and were granted $800 bail each.

The matter was rolled over to February 28, 2019.

Prosecuting, Mr Shepherd Makonde said that in February 2015, Petrozim wanted to buy tank gauges and transmitters and Katsande and Chizema hatched a plan to defraud it.

Kaltrade Company, which is owned by Chizema, then submitted its quotation and two others for MIS Solutions (Pvt) Ltd and AC Controls (Pvt), which it had generated.

Chizema and Katsande submitted Kaltrade (Pvt) Ltd’s quotation despite being aware that the company had no capacity to deliver the goods.

Katsande awarded the tender to Kaltrade and unlawfully authorised the release of $156 435, 50 from Petrozim Line account into firm’s account against company policy which stated that payment would only be made after the goods had been received.

After receiving the money, Kaltrade (Pvt) Ltd failed to supply the goods because they were not in their line of work.

Katsande and Chizema converted the money to their own use.

To conceal the crime, Katsande did not mention the transaction to the Board of Directors or highlight the issue in the financial reports and maintenance budgets submitted to the board from 2015 to date.

The offence only came to light through a whistle-blower, which led to the arrest of the two.