AN administration officer from Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission was arraigned before the Harare magistrates courts on Thursday last week facing a theft of trust property charge amounting to US$33 510.
Tafadzwa Mapepeta (29) was granted US$300 bail and ordered not to interfere with State witnesses as well as to reside on his given address when he appeared before Harare magistrate Marehwanazvo Gofa.
He is expected to return to court on January 30 next year for possible allocation of trial date pending finalisation of investigations.
Appearing for the State, prosecutor Anesu Chirenje alleged that from a period between November 7 last year up to September 30 this year, the commission acquired 141 545 litres of diesel and 17 000 litres of petrol from Redan and Petrotrade which was to be disbursed to employees by Mapepeta .
The court heard that Mapepeta disbursed 121 895 litres of diesel coupons and 14 310 litres of petrol coupons applied for and approved by the finance director.
However, sometime in September this year, the finance director inquired on the fuel balances which showed that the numbers were not tallying.
He reportedly became suspicious considering that the commission had acquired enough fuel and the director ordered an internal investigation to be carried out.
On October 18 this year, internal investigations were carried.
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The investigations revealed that the quantities of fuel acquired during the period under review failed to correspond with the actual figures of fuel coupons.
It was further established that there was a prejudice of 19 560 litres of diesel and 2 690 litres of petrol with a combined value US$33 520.
Mupepeta allegedly omitted to account or accounted incorrectly for the property and nothing was recovered.
He was subsequently reported to the police leading to his arrest.
