HARARE – Five men were convicted of fleecing Harare Central Hospital of more than US$68,000 in a drugs and equipment supply deal.
Collen Malambo Makuyana, Albert Chisema, Gift Ziyambe, Stansfield Dhokwani and Nicholas Mjanja were convicted after a full trial by Harare provincial magistrate Barbra Chimboza.
Makuyana is the chief accounting officer at the hospital; Dhokwani is the director of a company called Floralsplah Investments; Chisema is the director of Malcley Health Care; Ziyambe works for Critical Health Services while Mjanja works for a company called Ballstring Investments (Pvt) Ltd.
Dhokwani and Mjanja were found not guilty and acquitted on 13 counts of fraud, but were convicted of receiving stolen property.
In handing down judgement, Chimboza noted that fraud cases involve a degree of planning and the state witnesses explained the role played by the accused.
“The court is convinced that the accused persons committed the offence. The court is of the view that the accused persons created confusion because they did not think through the consequences of changing their defence outlines,” ruled the magistrate.
Chimboza said fake invoices found a way into Harare Central Hospital suggesting that there was an insider.
Chimboza rolled over the matter to Tuesday for sentencing.
Prosecutor George Manokore proved that in 2008, the Health Ministry awarded a tender to Laryscope Health Care (Pvt) Ltd to supply pharmaceutical products to Harare Central Hospital.
On December 21, 2010, the hospital requested pharmaceutical products worth US$8,400 from the company.
The goods were supplied and the pharmaceutical shop submitted requisition copies, goods received and its tax invoice.
On February 15, 2011, the hospital acknowledged receipt of the products.
The accused connived to forge a tax invoice. They also forged a letter purporting that Laryscope instructed the hospital to transfer all payments to Floralsplah Investment’s bank account.
Acting on the misrepresentation, the hospital transferred US$8,400 to Floralsplah.
Dhokwani, who is a signatory to Floralsplah’s bank account, withdrew the money.
On June 28, 2011, the hospital requested pharmaceutical products worth US$2,250. Using the same modus operandi, the accused forged documents bearing Ballstring Investments (Pvt) Ltd letterheads and recommended the hospital transfers money into the company’s bank account.
Mjanja, who is a signatory of the Ballstring’s bank account, withdrew the money in connivance with the quartet.
The court heard that the hospital made several requests for pharmaceutical supplies between December 2010 and December 2014 amounting to US$68,783.
All the money was transferred into Floralsplah and Ballstring bank accounts and nothing was recovered.
