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Duo arrested for stealing US$19,000 paint
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Two employees of a local paint company were arrested for allegedly embezzling paint worth US$19,592, in what appears to have been a systematic theft over several months.
Chipo Brinia Mapfumo (32), a branch supervisor at Gazaland in Highfield, Harare, and Takudzwa Gorejena (37), a branch manager at Chikwana shopping centre in Chitungwiza, were arraigned before Harare provincial magistrate Isheunesu Matova. Both were granted US$100 bail each, pending the finalisation of investigations.
The two are accused of manipulating stock records over a four-month period, from September 2024 to January 2025, to conceal missing inventory. According to prosecutor Rufaro Chonzi, Mapfumo and Gorejena colluded to enter fewer stock items into the company's sales system than what was actually collected from the warehouse, effectively misrepresenting the stock levels.
The fraudulent activities came to light when Nelson Tshabalala, the company's business system manager, noticed discrepancies during routine checks at the Gazaland branch.
Following the discovery, an audit was conducted on January 18, 2025, which revealed serious irregularities in the company's records. The audit found missing stock and significant losses that were traced back to the time when Mapfumo and Gorejena were responsible for the inventory.
Investigations determined that the total financial loss to the company amounted to US$19,592, and nothing has been recovered.
The company reported the incident to the police, leading to the arrest of the two employees.
The case is still under investigation, with authorities working to verify the full extent of the alleged fraud. The employees will return to court for further proceedings.
Chipo Brinia Mapfumo (32), a branch supervisor at Gazaland in Highfield, Harare, and Takudzwa Gorejena (37), a branch manager at Chikwana shopping centre in Chitungwiza, were arraigned before Harare provincial magistrate Isheunesu Matova. Both were granted US$100 bail each, pending the finalisation of investigations.
The two are accused of manipulating stock records over a four-month period, from September 2024 to January 2025, to conceal missing inventory. According to prosecutor Rufaro Chonzi, Mapfumo and Gorejena colluded to enter fewer stock items into the company's sales system than what was actually collected from the warehouse, effectively misrepresenting the stock levels.
The fraudulent activities came to light when Nelson Tshabalala, the company's business system manager, noticed discrepancies during routine checks at the Gazaland branch.
Investigations determined that the total financial loss to the company amounted to US$19,592, and nothing has been recovered.
The company reported the incident to the police, leading to the arrest of the two employees.
The case is still under investigation, with authorities working to verify the full extent of the alleged fraud. The employees will return to court for further proceedings.
Source - newsday
