Ex-school head up for $35 000 fraud
By Tarisai Machakaire
Dzivarasekwa Primary School’s former head appeared in court on Saturday on allegations of converting $35 000 meant for the institution’s development to personal use.
Pauline Ntini, 60, appeared before Harare magistrate Francis Mapfumo charged with theft of trust property.
According to the State, there is an audit report obtained from the Education ministry linking Ntini to the offence and other documentary exhibits from the school and auditor.
The complainant is Dzivaresekwa Primary School, represented by the School Development Committee (SDC) chairperson, Wellington Hadebe.
Prosecutor Linda Gadzikwa alleged that between January 1, 2016 and November 30, last year, Ntini received a total of $153 060,35 in cash from the school bursar, Simbai Zvenhamo.
The money was supposed to be banked into the school’s General Fund account at CBZ Bank, Saphirre Branch in Harare.
The court heard that Ntini only banked $120 389, 80 and converted $32 670, 45 to her personal use.
It was further alleged that on September 8, 2016 Ntini received $1 500 from the National Association of Primary Schools Head (NAPH) for conference fees and music competitions. However, instead of surrendering the money to the bursar for banking, she used the money for her gains.
According to State papers, between January 1, 2016 and November 30 last year, Dzivaresekwa Primary School was leasing one of its classrooms to Christ Embassy Church on monthly basis. The court heard that Christ Embassy used the classroom to conduct Sunday services at $60 per month.
All the payments collected during the period amounted $1 380 and were collected by Ntini before converting the full amount to her own use.
On December 1, 2017 the Education Ministry conducted an audit of the school’s funds and discovered that $35 550, 45 could not be accounted for.
Investigations pointed to Ntini as the perpetrator of the offence leading to her arrest.
A total of $35 550, 45 was lost and nothing recovered. Daily News
