The Sunday News
Sukulwenkosi Dube Plumtree Correspondent
A BURSAR at Empandeni Primary School has appeared in court facing charges of embezzling school funds.
Sphilisiwe Mpofu (26) is accused of stealing $1 545 and R2 785 within a period of three months while she was employed as the school’s bursar.
Mpofu has since been suspended pending investigations.
The court heard that parents were paying school fess in full but the accused person was understating amounts when filling out duplicate copies of the receipts, thereby creating the impression that some parents were owing the school when they were not.
The original receipts which parents were being given after paying had different amounts from the duplicates.
She converted the difference to her own use.
She also went on to convert to her own use, money that was collected through a debt collection exercise. The matter came to light after school authorities approached parents highlighting that they owed the school.
Parents, however, disputed this and produced their receipts as evidence that they had completed their payments.
An inspection of the payment records then revealed that some of the money was missing.
Mpofu, who denied the allegations, appeared before Plumtree magistrate, Mr Gideon Ruvetsa facing a charge of fraud and theft.
As evidence, the State produced original copies of receipts and their duplicates that were signed by her showing disparities in amounts.
Prosecuting, Ms Jane Phiri said the accused person was suspected to have embezzled the funds from the period 2 November 2012 to 16 January last year.
“The duties of the accused person included receiving money for school fees from parents and children. However she receipted different amounts on the original and duplicate receipts. On the original she endorsed the correct amount paid but she was understating the amount on the duplicate copies,” she said.
Ms Phiri said during the same period the accused person conducted a debt collection exercise in the company of a debt collector.
She was supposed to hold onto the money and hand it over to the school but she converted it to her own use.
Ms Phiri said the school head, Mr Zwelikude Ngolosi then realised the anomalies and alerted education officials who conducted an internal audit.
Mpofu was remanded out of custody to 21 May for continuation of trial.
