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Walter Mswazie Masvingo Correspondent
CHIREDZI Town Council has suspended eleven of its employees over allegations of manipulating revenue figures and embezzling about $31,000 from the local authority’s coffers, the town council chairperson, Councillor Francis Moyo, has said. He said internal investigations revealed that as much as $65,000 could be missing.

Clr Moyo told The Chronicle yesterday that the suspended workers, who include revenue clerks, security personnel and accounts department workers, would appear for a hearing anytime this week.

The suspended employees are alleged to have collected money from council beerhalls, vendors, terminus boom gates and converted part of the revenue to their own use.

They would allegedly write correct figures on the original receipts and capture lesser amounts on the duplicate receipts which they would submit to the accounts department.

An audit report read during a full council meeting held recently indicated that $31,000 was missing from the local authority’s estate account.

It also unearthed another syndicate involving security guards and revenue collection officers.

“I can confirm that eleven Chiredzi Town employees have been served with letters of suspension over $31,000 which went missing after a manipulation of revenue figures.

“They’re likely to be called for a hearing anytime this week,” said Clr Moyo.

He said the local authority suspected there was a well-connected syndicate working to deprive council of its revenue.

“There’s a racket involving those entrusted with collecting revenue on behalf of council and the security personnel. These people work in connivance.

“They issue vendors with receipts bearing correct amounts paid by vendors for their rentals, only to write lesser amounts on duplicate copies before converting the difference to their own use,” Clr Moyo said.

He said, acting on a tip off, council instituted investigations into the conduct of revenue officers and uncovered the rot leading to the suspension of the culprits.

Clr Moyo said they also suspended some senior officials in the accounts department.

“After receiving a tip-off we instituted investigations and we took some corresponding receipts to vendors after which the rot was discovered.

“Roughly, there’s about $65,000 that is missing from the council coffers as of now. We’re carrying out further investigations,” he said.