Arnold Chifamba (26) appeared before Harare magistrate Mrs
Nyaradzo Manokore yesterday charged with theft. He was granted US$100 bail and
returns to court on April 16.
The complainant in this case is Harare Institute of
Technology (HIT) represented by its Information and Communication Technology
Services manager, Chabarwa Rony Murahwa, who is also Chifamba’s supervisor.
Chifamba’s duties included integration of HIT’s online
application system with external payment service provider, Software House
Private Limited trading as PayNow Limited in order to facilitate collection of
registration fees.
Prosecuting, Ms Grace Mugocheke alleged that sometime last
year, HIT invited applicants from prospective students from Zimbabwe and
beyond. The applications are done online through the HIT online application
platform which was managed by Chifamba.
But Chifamba then logged into the system and changed HIT
PayNow Limited account number from 11862, b5ad7dac-15bf-4a14-99d6-84f1f990b7fd
to read 13425, 1f295c9b-0810-4cc1-98d-9cef6ec26b25 in the name of Chifsoft
which is under his control.
By so doing, all HIT online application fees were diverted
into his PayNow account. Chifamba allegedly later instructed PayNow Limited to
further transfer the stolen funds into his CBZ Bank Account Number in
Chitungwiza Branch.
He stole a total of $3 302 564 from HIT.
This year, HIT invited prospective students and Chifamba
again used the same modus operandi and diverted application fees into his usual
PayNow account number 13425 and stole a total of $21 217 069,61.
The court heard that
on January 31, Chifamba through e-mail instructed Pay Now Ltd to move the funds
to his CBZ account.
HIT noted the anomaly and withheld the funds in the PayNow
account belonging to Chifamba.
Then on February 1, PayNow Ltd alerted HIT who in turn made
a police report leading to the arrest of Chifamba at his workplace.
A total of $24 519
633,33 was diverted and $21 217 069 was recovered. Herald
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