Ntombizile Mlotshwa

Sunday news reporter

A CITY man was last week brought before the courts for allegedly pocketing money which amounted to   US$11 000 from the livestock production department in the Ministry of Agriculture.

China Mathe (43), who resides at number 3197 Cowdray Park in Bulawayo appeared before Bulawayo provincial magistrate Mr Shepherd Munjanja for contravening Section 113 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Chapter 9:23.

The circumstances as presented by the prosecutor Mr Jerry Mudzingwa are that for the period extending from March 2010 to January 2012 the accused attended cattle auctions in Beitbridge and received a total of US$40 080, 25 as livestock production levy and US$700 from Montana Meats but declared only US$29 260, 55 and converted a total of US$11 519, 70 to his own use.

The offence came to light through a whistle blower which led the police to call for rural district councils concerned to submit records of total sales and levies submitted to the livestock production department. They were compared with those submitted by the accused from 2010-2012 and the Ministry of Agriculture conducted an audit where discrepancies were noted leading to the arrest of the accused.

The accused was released out of custody on US$120 bail to 11 June. In a similar matter, Mr Farai Fugao, who is also employed by the livestock production department as a meat and livestock grading assistant, also appeared before Mr Munjanja for contravening Section 113 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Chapter 9:23.

The circumstances as represented by Mr Mudzingwa are that the accused attended cattle auctions in Beitbridge, Terry Abattoir, Beitbridge Sox Abattoir and Montana Abattoir and received a total sum of       US$9 162, 30 as levy and US$213 from the abattoir in Beitbridge but only submitted US$7 397 and converted US$4 177, 90 to his own use.

The accused was released out of custody on US$100 bail to 11 June.