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How E200 000 went missing at Swazi Bank

02/11/2009 00:00:00 KWANELE DLAMINI

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MANZINI – A teller is in the dock to account for how over E200 000 allegedly went missing under his care at the Swazibank.

The teller Thando Mngometulu (29) of Luyengo was charged with theft and is undergoing trial at the Magistrate’s Court.
Mngometulu had been working for the bank since 2001 at the Nhlangano branch. He was employed as a teller, entrusted with receiving cash brought by clients as deposits and account to management for all monies deposited.

On January 10, 2007 he was transferred to the branch in Matsapha from the headquarters in Mbabane, where he had been moved from Nhlangano. On his first day in Matsapha, he worked under Current Accounts pending the issuance of his teller identity card (ID).

During his appearance before the Magistrate Court yesterday, it was heard that on January 11, 2007, a day after his arrival at the Matsapha branch, he was allegedly given a trunk to lock daily collections while a safe trolley was being fixed. The amount of E203 359, 40 was discovered missing from the trunk after Mngometulu allegedly disappeared from work. His supervisor, Mphikeleli Dlamini, when giving evidence before Magistrate Florence Msibi said, together with the then Manager, Samson Kuhlase and Chamkile Simelane (Dlamini’s supervisor) they decided to break open the trunk and made the discovery.

Mngometulu’s records allegedly reflected a balance of E349 464, 20 but only E146 104, 80, which was then put in the custody of the manager, was found in the trunk.
Dlamini said Kuhlase reported the matter at the bank’s headquarters in Mbabane and he also recorded a statement with the police.

Attorney Mandla Mkhwanazi, who represented Mngometulu in the matter, questioned the safety of keeping client’s monies in a trunk instead of a safe trolley. Dlamini said the two are similarly safe if they were kept in a strong room. The matter is yet to be concluded.