THE trial of five Ingwebu Breweries employees who allegedly stole 19 812,40 litres of fuel worth more than $162 140 from their employer resumed yesterday, with all the employees denying the charges before Bulawayo regional court magistrate Crispen Mberewere. SILAS NKALA STAFF REPORTER
Rest Tshuma, Fortune Tshuma, Bekithemba Mabukwa, Ndabezinnhle Tshabalala and Michael Ndlovu pleaded not guilty to fraud charges when they appeared before Mberewere.
One of the suspects, Xolani Sibanda, is still at large.
The magistrate remanded the case to December 10 for continuation.
Rest said the company must prove to the court that he was involved in the alleged fraud by producing relevant documents which show that they intentionally defrauded the company as alleged.
Prosecutor Trust Mudumo told the court that between January 1 2013 and March 2014, the six accused persons were employed by Ingwebu Breweries and their duties were to receive fuel, dispatch it to delivery trucks and staff vehicles according to stores requisitions and update systems using issued fuel requisitions.
They allegedly received 819 633,50 litres of fuel on behalf of Ingwebu.
They allegedly stole 19 812,40 litres of fuel which they disposed without the required fuel requisitions.
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The six allegedly tried to cover up the offence by altering the quantity of fuel issued by inserting other figures on the authorised requisitions to appear as if the fuel issued was authorised.
They allegedly fed into the computer system false figures of authorised fuel issues.
The offence came to light after an internal audit team conducted spot checks and a report was made to the police, leading to the arrest of the five suspects. One is still at large.
The total cost of fuel stolen is $162 146,51 and it has not yet been recovered.
