A senior official at the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC)’s marketing department appeared in court yesterday facing a $23 000 fraud charge.
ZBC marketing executive Percy Pinias Nhara was arrested last Friday and detained over the weekend for allegedly swindling the national broadcaster of over $23 000 for advertising airtime.
Harare magistrate Anita Tshuma remanded him to April 16 on $200 bail.
As part of his bail conditions, Nhara was ordered to report twice a week to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Serious Fraud Squad and to stay at his given Harare address until the matter was finalised. He was also ordered not to interfere with State witnesses.
State counsel David Magwegwe told the court sometime between January and August last year, Nhara collected $71 233, 25 from several advertisers including Emmanuel Makandiwa’s United Family International church.
It is alleged after Nhara received the money, he submitted $47 810 and converted the balance to personal use.
The offence came to light when ZBC internal auditors carried out an audit inspection of Nhara’s records, leading to his arrest.
