Irregularities in the council’s payment system were exposed last week when a plumbing supervisor was arrested for allegedly defrauding the council of US$14 000. A couple of weeks ago a grounds man and his friend appeared in court facing charges of defrauding the council by allegedly forging a pay slip from the salary cashier. In the latest developments, the plumbing supervisor, Sowuphumula Bhebhe, allegedly managed to get away with over US$14 000 after convincing the cashier that he was withdrawing the salaries on behalf of his subordinates, who, it later emerged, had their contracts terminated and were no longer under the council’s salary bill.
Thirty-eight-year-old Bhebe last Tuesday appeared before Bulawayo magistrate, Abednico Dube at the Bulawayo Tredgold Court. According to a well placed source within the local authority, the audit team was trying to account for an undisclosed but substantial amount which was said to be missing from council’s accounts. “Currently the team has finished synchronising February salaries and are now moving own to January, December and November salaries, this is an attempt to account for all these figures,” said the source.
The acting Financial Director Kimpton Ndimande said council was leaving no stone unturned and there were possibilities that more people would be caught up in the ongoing investigations. According to the financial director the council audit was in full swing and results were expected soon.
Post published in: News