News / Local
Fake lay-by accounts fraud at TV Sales
25 Dec 2023 at 04:30hrs | Views
THREE cashiers employed by furniture shop, TV Sales and Home in Victoria Falls have been arrested for allegedly defrauding the shop and customers of thousands of dollars after creating fake lay-by accounts for clients.
Farai Chiwara (24) of 8500 Chinotimba who was employed as an assistant cashier and sales representative, and Rejoice Nyoni (28), a cashier residing at 1241 Chinotimba, would allegedly create fake lay-by accounts for customers and receive money from them as deposit and instalment.
They would give customers fake receipts that were later discovered not to be in the TV Sales and Home system.
Chiwara faces seven counts of fraud, which he allegedly committed alone and is jointly charged with Nyoni on four other counts, and also with Taurai Chigova on a count of theft of trust property in respect of the property fraudulently sold to customers from the shop.
They prejudiced the shop of US$19 129.
The trio separately appeared in court before magistrate Mr Gift Manyika who remanded them out of custody on $500 000 bail with reporting conditions.
The case is ongoing and now in defence as the accused have pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Circumstances of the case as presented by prosecutors are that the offences were committed this year until October.
The Victoria Falls branch received stock in May and cases at hand show that Chiwara and Nyoni created several fake lay-by accounts and collected deposit and instalments from several clients.
They allegedly made customers believe that they opened some accounts for them and the customers would pay deposit and on monthly basis pay varying amounts of instalments.
The crimes came to light when the clients visited the shop asking for printouts of their account statements upon which they were told that they had no accounts with TV Sales and Home.
They were told that the receipts they got from Chiwara and Nyoni were counterfeit and not captured in the system.
Investigations were conducted leading to the arrest of the duo. Chigova was also arrested in respect of the missing stock. The case continues this week.
Farai Chiwara (24) of 8500 Chinotimba who was employed as an assistant cashier and sales representative, and Rejoice Nyoni (28), a cashier residing at 1241 Chinotimba, would allegedly create fake lay-by accounts for customers and receive money from them as deposit and instalment.
They would give customers fake receipts that were later discovered not to be in the TV Sales and Home system.
Chiwara faces seven counts of fraud, which he allegedly committed alone and is jointly charged with Nyoni on four other counts, and also with Taurai Chigova on a count of theft of trust property in respect of the property fraudulently sold to customers from the shop.
They prejudiced the shop of US$19 129.
The trio separately appeared in court before magistrate Mr Gift Manyika who remanded them out of custody on $500 000 bail with reporting conditions.
Circumstances of the case as presented by prosecutors are that the offences were committed this year until October.
The Victoria Falls branch received stock in May and cases at hand show that Chiwara and Nyoni created several fake lay-by accounts and collected deposit and instalments from several clients.
They allegedly made customers believe that they opened some accounts for them and the customers would pay deposit and on monthly basis pay varying amounts of instalments.
The crimes came to light when the clients visited the shop asking for printouts of their account statements upon which they were told that they had no accounts with TV Sales and Home.
They were told that the receipts they got from Chiwara and Nyoni were counterfeit and not captured in the system.
Investigations were conducted leading to the arrest of the duo. Chigova was also arrested in respect of the missing stock. The case continues this week.
Source - The Chronicle
