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Michelle Gwizi, Court Reporter
FOUR Bulawayo men have appeared in court facing a fraud charge for defrauding cement company Pretoria Portland Cement Zimbabwe of more than $26 000 after cloning a bank card belonging to a former financial director.

Divine Gandawa (38), Farai Gandawa (29), Malcolm Migogo (36) and Cylous Ndlovu (38) from Nkulumane 12, Pumula south, Cowdray Park and Pumula South respectively pleaded not guilty to the fraud charge.

The four appeared before Bulawayo Magistrate Mrs Adelaide Mbeure who remanded them out of custody on $300 bail each to January 25 for commencement of trial.

Prosecuting, Mr Mufaro Mageza said the complainant is PPC Zimbabwe represented by its Financial Director Ms Karen Mhazo.

Allegations are that on May 1 in 2007 a commercial director at the company was issued with a Stanbic Visa Card. On March 31 last year he resigned from the company and handed over the card to the company’s accountant who secured the card by locking it in a drawer in her office.

“On a day between March 31 and October 23 last year the accused persons unlawfully acquired the card information and duplicated it. They went on to swipe transactions at various outlets and made purchases of electrical gadgets, groceries and beverages using the duplicate card,” said Mr Mageza.

“Ms Mhazo discovered that there were financial transactions being debited to the card while the original card was kept safe. This led to Ms Mhazo making a report at Stanbic bank and also surrendered the original card to the bank.”

The court heard that the card was blocked on October 28 last year and a report was made to the police leading to the arrest of the two Gandawas and the recovery of television sets that they had purchased.

The two implicated Ndlovu resulting in his arrest. Further investigations led to the arrest of Migogo who had purchased a television set in Bulawayo.

The total prejudice to the company is $26 529 and goods recovered are valued at $6 686.

— @gwizi_n.