×
NewsDay

AMH is an independent media house free from political ties or outside influence. We have four newspapers: The Zimbabwe Independent, a business weekly published every Friday, The Standard, a weekly published every Sunday, and Southern and NewsDay, our daily newspapers. Each has an online edition.

SA fuel supplier creamed of $1 million

News
A SOUTH AFRICAN oil company lost fuel worth $976 608 to its Zimbabwe network and retail manager after he allegedly manufactured fictitious credit applications for 10 companies.

A SOUTH AFRICAN oil company lost fuel worth $976 608 to its Zimbabwe network and retail manager after he allegedly manufactured fictitious credit applications for 10 companies.

BY DESMOND CHINGARANDE

Ronald Masimba Nyandoro (40), who is employed by AfricaOil Limited, a South African-registered company, was yesterday granted $500 by Harare magistrate Elijah Singano.

Nyandoro was remanded to May 11 and as part of his bail conditions he was ordered to report once every Friday at CID Commercial Crime Unit and to reside at the given address.

It is the State’s case that Nyandoro’s duties were to look for new clients and managing operations in Zimbabwe and it is alleged the complainant, AfricaOil Limited, represented by Mzwake Mdakane, has a credit facility to approved companies which receive fuel and pay after selling the commodity. The company has fuel depots in Beitbridge and Bulawayo which distribute its fuel in bulk and it was Nyandoro’s duty to source for new clients and forward their applications electronically to South Africa for approval and listing.

It was submitted that Nyandoro with intent to defraud AfricaOil submitted credit application forms for 10 companies which did not apply for the said facility or whose application he would have turned down to AfricaOil for approval. The said fake application would be duly approved and were given credit facility.

It is the State’s case that during the period stretching from August 2015 to July last year, Nyandoro unlawfully created fictitious purchase orders purporting that the said companies had placed orders of varying amounts of litres of fuel. The said orders would be approved by AfricaOil in South Africa and some release notes generated which were electronically forwarded to Nyandoro.

It is alleged Nyandoro would give the release notes to his accomplices who in turn used them as proof of purchase to collect fuel from AfricaOil depots which he converted to own use.

The alleged offence came to light in April last year when Mdakane, the company’s credit controller, discovered that some companies had accumulated huge debts and were not making any efforts to clear them. A follow-up showed the companies had neither purchased any fuel nor applied for credit. Mdakane also allegedly discovered that some of the companies were fictitious. AfricaOil reportedly suffered total prejudice of $976 608.

Sebastian Mutizirwa appeared for the State.