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Melody Baya Court Reporter
AN accounts clerk at a school in Mbembesi on Tuesday appeared before a Bulawayo magistrate facing charges of embezzling about $19,000 of the school funds. Thalazani Mdluli, 49, of Mbembesi area appeared before magistrate Marylyn Mutshina facing a fraud charge. Mdluli, who was the School Development Committee (SDC) clerk, allegedly defrauded Sojini High School of $19,423.

Internal auditors from the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education discovered the offence. She pleaded not guilty and Mutshina remanded the case to today for continuation of trial. The special interim report submitted by the auditors, produced before the court, revealed that Mdluli had “private” receipt books with the same serial numbers as the ones which were at school.

The report further revealed that the collections from these receipt books as at the end of the audit exercise amounted to $19,423. The auditors said Mdluli never posted the amounts to the official cash book as she converted them to her personal use. The court heard that only $4,914 was recovered, leaving a balance of $14,509 unaccounted for.

Prosecuting, Kudakwashe Jaravaza told the court that from 2011 to January 27, 2015, Mdluli accepted school fees from parents and misrepresented recordings she made in the cash and receipt books.

The matter, he said, came to light during an inspection of the school’s records.“The school suffered an actual prejudice of $19,423 and the accused refunded $4,914 to the school,” said Jaravaza.