HARARE - Two City of Harare employees have appeared in court on allegations of defrauding their employer of $325 114,63.

Godfrey Hama, 35, a senior accountant and Dumisani Mgogoshi, 39, a clerical officer were not asked to plead when they appeared before magistrate Don Ndirowei on Friday.

They were remanded to May 6.

It is alleged that between January 2012 and January 2013, the duo, in connivance with some Harare City Council (HCC) clients, hatched a plan to defraud HCC of its funds.

The two men allegedly made 67 journal transactions where they misrepresented that various clients made rate payments into HCC’s bank account when in actual fact they did not.

Prosecutor Tungamirai Chakurira alleges that false information was entered into HCC computer systems so as to mislead HCC that the rate payments were genuine.

The offence came to light when the internal audit department reviewed transactions made in the City’s treasury department.

The court heard the auditors discovered that the journal transactions did not support evidence to show that payments had been made.

Further investigations also revealed that the purported bank transfers into Kingdom Bank were cash deposits made by HCC in respect of service charges from various district offices. - Helen Kadirire