ANOTHER version of fugitive Pamela Gondwe has resurfaced but this time around, Gondwe is a man that has reportedly stolen a huge sum of money belonging to the company he works for and could not escape from the country.
This is the case for 38 year old Westone Matubulani who took away a sum of over K13 million from the company he was employed as an accountant.
Investigations revealed that the accountant used his university skills of accountancy to falsify financial transactions in the company’s serge integrated system, purporting to show that two of his company’s best customers trading in chicken and meat products were supplied with different quantities of meat and chicken products.
After supplying the products, the accountant then provided different personal account numbers to the supplied companies where the payments were channeled.
In a statement issued by police spokesperson Rae Hamoonga, it was revealed that part of the stolen money was later diverted to Bank accounts and mobile money accounts of his close relatives as well as other identified mobile money agents.
Matubulani further accessed funds which he used to purchase different assets in the form of motor vehicles, houses, cattle and a farm either in his name or names of relatives.
The assets included two Ford ranger Raptors Rvalued at K2,300,000 and at K400,000 and three other vehicles worth a total value of K380,000 among other properties such as land residential, buildings and cattle.
“The estimated Total value of seized property is K6, 085,000,” Hamoonga disclosed.
He said the main suspect is now in police custody and is yet to be charged for various offences ranging from Fraudulent false Accounting, Theft by servant and Money laundering.
“The Livingstone District Anti-fraud and Financial Crimes unit received a report from Zam Harvest One Ltd trading as Heartlands Best who reported that between the month of November, 2021 and October, 2024, K13, 088,668.50 was stolen from the company by Weston Simwambwa Matubulani aged 38 years of unknown house number of Highland’s township Livingstone, who is the company accountant,” shared Hamoonga.
Meanwhile, the accountant’s wife, Doreen Nzoolo aged 37 years of house number R156 off Lusaka Road Livingstone who received some stolen money through her Access Bank account from the husband and also bought some property which is jointly owned with her husband.
Nzoolo has been charged with the offence of receiving stolen property.
Others arrested in connection to the case are
Winford Simwambwa Matubulani aged 40, who received K800,000, Rachael Simwambwa Matubulani, a 49 year old bar lady who was discovered to own residential property through funds received via her brother Weston through a mobile money agent and has been arrested for the offence of money laundering.
“Mervis Simwambwa Matubulani aged 36 years of house number 1343 Mcraymond Compound Kalomo, received K143,000 cash from his brother Weston S Matubulani, through her mobile money account from the main suspect in the matter and she was charged with the offence of receiving stolen property.” disclosed Hamoonga.
By Catherine Pule
Kalemba, November 22, 2024
