Harare Poly student up for ZWL$2.5m fraud

Michael Mashiri

A Harare Polytechnic accounting student, who is currently on attachment with Zesa Holdings Head Office, appeared in court together with her husband, facing allegations of defrauding the parastatal of ZWL$2 487 978.

Faith Jessica Mukome, who lives in Mabvuku, and her husband, Collen Yande, appeared before magistrate Stanford Mambanje at the Harare Magistrates’ Courts after it was realised that she had created an account for Yande, purporting that he was a supplier of Zesa Holdings.

The complainant in this matter is Zesa Holdings represented by Eliab Tafireyi Chikwenhere, who is the Acting Chief Executive Officer of the parastatal.

The State, through prosecutor Tawanda Nyandoro, alleges that as part of her attachment programme, Mukome was taken through the creation of suppliers and staff debtors’ accounts, the procedure for raising payments and the process of effecting payment on Zesa Holdings Online Payment System.

On March 3, 2023, Mukome is alleged to have altered a payment voucher of Emkar Trading by replacing Emkar Trading bank account details by inserting Yande’s Steward bank account number.

She then created and effected payment on Zesa Holdings Stanbic Business online payment platform of ZWL$212 500 into Yande’s account.

Through Mukome’s deception, Zesa Holdings deposited from Zesa Holdings Stanbic Bank account ZWL$212 500 into Yande’s Steward Bank account.

On March 14, 2023, Mukome once again inserted Yande’s Steward Bank account details on a memorandum belonging to Trinity Pharmacy, directing Zesa Holdings to deposit a payment of ZW$2 275 478, resulting in Zesa depositing the money into Yande’s account.

Yande then withdrew all the money that was deposited into his Steward bank account and used it to his benefit, resulting in Zesa Holdings suffering a financial prejudice of ZWL$2 487 978 which was never recovered.

Mukome and Yande were remanded in custody to today for bail application.