By Paul Katanda

A FORMER sales consultant with Econet Wireless has appeared at the Harare Magistrates Court facing charges of fraud involving ZW$3,9 million.

The court heard that Tatenda Simende, who worked as a sales consultant stationed at Econet Joina City office, processed receipt number INCTS300000000009284-5 with a face value of ZW$1 000 000 which was transferred by SpellBound Electronics as his dealer payment to Econet on June 25 last year.

On July 8, 2021 the accused used the same proof of payment with transaction reference number CABS2406 and attached it to his day-end report indicating that it was payment for receipt number INCTS300000000009821-2 under Econet cash account when in actual fact he should have attached a swipe machine receipt or could have surrendered cash for the transaction.

Simende allegedly bought physical recharge cards worth ZW$1 000 000 using the fraudulent transaction.

The court further heard that on July 21, 2021, Simende processed receipt number JNCT3000000000010355 using proof of payment with transaction reference number cab309-2107ts. He then processed the receipt for physical Econet recharge cards valued at ZW$2 999 715.

On July 30, 2021 Simende also used the same proof of payment made to generate another receipt which he allegedly fraudulently used to buy physical recharge cards valued at ZW$2 999 715.

In January 2022 the company carried out a bank reconciliation exercise during which the offence was discovered. A police report was then made leading to his arrest.