Fraud lands trio in the dock
A LOCAL company allegedly lost over $280 000 to its employees after they claimed that they had clinched contracts from another firm to supply construction services on behalf of the firm.
Three employees of Fortune Investments (Pvt) Ltd, Nyasha Matongorere (30), Macmillian Chidziva (34) and Fortune Magama (49), managed to convince their bosses to release the funds on the pretext that it would be forwarded to BL-Harbert International.
They appeared before Harare magistrate Ms Rumbidzai Mugwagwa and the case was adjourned to today for bail ruling.
The court heard that BL-Harbert International had been contracted by the American Embassy to build their offices along Lorraine Drive in Westgate, Harare.
The complainant, Fortune Investments (Pvt) Ltd, is represented by its operations manager Gabriel Maruwa.
The court heard that Fortune Investments is a broking company which sources and supplies construction services, safety wear, corporate wear and information technology services.
Matongorere and Chidziva were allegedly employed by Fortune Investments as sales executives, while Magama is the director of Premall Investments.
It is alleged that Chidziva and Matongorere were responsible for sourcing clients and supplying goods and services on behalf of Fortune Investments.
The court heard that the trio lied to Fortune Investments that Gracious Mukucha, who is in police custody, was a buyer for BL-Harbert International.
They convinced the company that Mukucha had the capacity to offer contracts of supplying goods and services because some of the companies contracted by BL-Harbert were financially incapacitated.
They agreed that Mukucha would pay Fortune Investments the full purchase order value as if the company offered services to BL-Harbert International.
The plan was for Fortune Investment and BL-Harbert to share profits, it is alleged.
Fortune Investments accepted the offer.
On October 3 last year, the trio misrepresented to Fortune Investments that Everule Investments and Elite Fuels had been offered contracts by BL-Harbert to the tune of $174 814 and was given $114 400 for funding.
Between October 3 and 25 last year, the trio allegedly lied that Premall Investments was contracted by BL-Harbert International to the tune of $202 401 and they needed funding of $147 780.
Fortune Investments paid the money. On November 21 last year, the trio allegedly lied that another company was offered a contract worth $82 170 and $6 000 was needed for the job.
Fortune Investments was promised payment after the companies had finished their jobs.
The company was given fake purchase order and in December last year, its managers realised that they had been duped.
The company lost $289 980 and nothing was recovered.