A former Cotton Company of Zimbabwe (COTTCO) manager was Wednesday taken to court charged with theft of trust property, reported NewZimbabwe.com.
Praise Makombore, who was COTTCO Mutoko’s business unit manager, allegedly stole 1 000 bags of fertiliser which were under the presidential inputs scheme.
She apppeared before Harare magistrate Marewanazvo Gofa who granted her US$300 bail.
Makombore was also ordered to surrender her passport to the clerk of court as part of her bail conditions.
The court heard that sometime in 2023, Makombore, who was the custodian of the presidential inputs allegedly connived with Zinhle Ndlovu who is still at large to steal fertilisers meant for distribution to farmers in the Mutoko area.
The duo allegedly planned to pretend as if they had instructions to order the release of fertilizer for distribution to farmers. Reads the court papers:
The fertiliser was then collected by two trucks without completing the necessary documentation. The trucks proceeded to a warehouse in Murehwa where the accused person’s car would be seen collecting the fertiliser on different occasions.
The accused person’s action resulted in COTTCO losing 1170 bags x 50kgs of compound L fertilisers valued at US$42 120 and nothing was recovered.
On the second count, it is alleged that between February 2022 to June 2023, Makombore contracted four vehicles to offer transportation services to COTTCO.
The prosecution further alleges that Makombore arranged for a transporter, registered as T Mutandiro, to receive payments using the bank account of Mutandiro’s husband, Motifa Nzaraigono, without disclosing to COTTCO that she had a personal interest in these transactions.
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