A syndicate of rogue employees from the Zimbabwe National Roads Adminstration (Zinara)’s cash office has been accused of fleecing the statutory body of money totalling to US$21 000 ($2 million) by doctoring documentation for money paid on fuel levies.
It is understood that the fuel levy is only payable in United States dollars.
The underhand dealings of the criminal syndicate were unearthed after Zinara finance director Adam Zvandasara on November 7 requested Chenjerayi Chibatamoto who is employed as financial controller, to verify purpoted fuel levy receipts submitted by a company known as PurOil Private Limited.
In his findings, Chibatamoto is said to have noticed the striking anomalies in the questionable manner through which the transactions in question were captured in Zinara’s Sage Pastel Accounting system.
Zinara said in a statement to the police that some transactions were also not recorded- raising suspicion about the prevalence of shady dealings involving staffers from its cash office.
“Preliminary internal investigations revealed that on October 21, 2020 Mr Marlon Chikomo the finance executive of PurOil visited Zinara head office and paid US$15 840 being fuel levy for 264 000 litres of petrol,” partly reads the letter.
“Mr Chikomo said he was served by a male cashier who gave him an electronic receipt number REC33816 which he was supposed to use to obtain a Direct Fuel Import Licence. A check in the Zinara Pastel Accounting System revealed that the receipt submitted by PurOil was not recorded in the system. Instead the receipt number reflects in the system as belonging to Westemead Pvt Limited which allegedly paid US$80 for fuel levy”.
Added Zinara:
“However, a further search for the transactions in the accounting system revealed that both the US$15 840 and US$80 were not recorded as fuel levy collections for October 21, 2020, and could not be traced to the Zinara bank statements,” reads part of Zinara’s statement to police.
The investigations also noted that the office bank record of October 21, which was supposed to be signed by five employees in the cash office (names supplied) and attached to the daily transactional report was missing.
Further investigations showed that PurOil paid US$5 280 on November 12 for the fuel levy for importation of 88 000 litres but the transaction was not recorded in the accounting system.
Investigations showed that receipts issued to the company belonged to a one Zenda valued at $20 and was for prepaid tolling cards.
The transaction was also not captured in the daily cash office banking records for the day.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed to the state media about the on–going investigations into the matter.
“The ZRP can confirm receiving a report on the alleged fraud at the Zinara cash office,” he said.
On the other hand, Jeremiah Singende- a staffer from the cash office- has also been reported to the police after he allegedly used fake sick leave notes fraudulently obtained from Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals in the pursuit of okaying his absence from duty.
Acting Clinical Director for Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals, Dr Tapiwa Magure confirmed in a November 12 letter that Singende presented a fake sick note that was corruptly obtained from the giant medical institution.
state media/Zwnews
