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Three RBZ workers convicted of stealing US$400 000

by Bhebhe Mandla
17 Jun 2011 at 22:10hrs | Views
Three Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe workers have been convicted of stealing US$400 000 from the central bank's inter-company suspense account on the pretext that an unnamed client had requested it.

Muscelyn Nyasha Mpinyuri (38) a retail banking manager, Sydney Pamire (36) a tellers' supervisor and teller Stanley Tichaona (28) pleaded guilty to theft charges when they appeared before Harare magistrate Mr

William Bhila who remanded them to Monday for sentencing.
The three are out on bail.

Mr Dumisani Mthombeni prosecuted.
Agreed facts are that on June 10 last year RBZ acting senior bank finances, Tsitsi Hungwe noticed that there was US$400 000 outstanding in an inter-company suspense account.

She phoned Trouble Mugarisanwa, a supervisor in the retail bank reconciliation section to investigate the issue since at the end of any business day the inter-company suspense account must have a zero balance.

On June 11, Mugarisanwa called Charity Dzobo to clarify the said transaction since the banking system showed that US$400 000 was inputted into the inter company suspense account by her on May 15 last year.

Dzobo denied capturing the transaction saying she was not on duty on the day in ques- tion.
Head of retail banking Delliah Khupe called Pamire and Maxwell Shumbayaonda who were vault custodians on the day in question and they confirmed paying Tichaona US$400 000.

Tichaona was called and he confirmed the transaction but said he could not remember the client he had paid the money to.
On the same day Pamire tried to influence Mugarisanwa to assist them cover up the issue after telling him that they had stolen the money together with Greyson Buzuwe who is still at large.

Mugarisanwa told division chief retail banking Prof Kuvheya who called for an internal investigation.

Investigations revealed that on May 14 last year Tichaona received US$400 000 from vault custodians without requisition on the pretext that an unnamed client wanted it and the money was not paid to any client but he stole it and shared it with his accomplices with each receiving US$100 000.

To cover up for the offence the four had destroyed Tichaona's teller log report and pulled pages from the inter teller book, which were supposed to contain information of this US$400 000 transaction.

Upon their arrest Pamire led to the recovery of US$83 400 and R7 250.
Tichaona led to the recovery of US$96 500 and R8 050 part of which was stashed in a black disco speaker and a silver DVD. He had converted part of the money into Rand.

Mpinyuri led to the recovery of US$74 000 at her aunt's house in Norton.
The total amount stolen is US$400 000.
US$255 998 and R15 300 was recovered.

Source - TNZ