NAMBOARD IT MAN ARRESTED FOR E250 135 FRAUD

MANZINI – A National Agricultural Marketing Board (NAMBoard) Senior Information Technology (IT) Officer has been arrested for allegedly defrauding the company E250 135.

The alleged fraud and other offences are in respect of laptops, computers, printers, cartridges, office chairs and cellphones allegedly ordered from different companies on behalf of NAMBoard. The accused person, Frank Mpendulo Makhabane (30) of Big Bend, yesterday appeared before Magistrate Mthokozisi Dlamini after he was arrested and charged with 34 counts of forgery, uttering and fraud.

In statements submitted in court, NAMBoard’s Chief Executive Officer Siphephiso Dlamini, alleged that in February this year, the organisation received demands for payments in respect of computers from various suppliers, which it was claimed had been purchased on its behalf by the IT officer, who is the accused person.

“We demanded to be furnished with the necessary documents in respect of their demand for payment from the company. However, we later discovered that fraudulent invoices were made by the accused,” Dlamini alleged.
The organisation’s Human Resources (HR) Manager, Silondiwe Nkambule, revealed that around March this year, they received an email from Lungile Malinga, who is employed by Data Net as a Sales and Marketing Officer, who made an enquiry of a laptop she alleged was loaned to NAMBoard at the request of Makhabane.

“In her email, she stated that the laptop was handed over to the accused person as a temporary measure while awaiting delivery of the proper one which had been ordered by NAMBoard. The ordered laptop was duly delivered to the accused person,” she alleged.
Meanwhile, Sisana Mondlane, the company’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO), revealed that since she was fully conversant with the organisation’s procurement processes, she received demands for payment in respect of computers from various suppliers, which it was claimed had been purchased on NAMBoard’s behalf by the accused.

“We demanded to be furnished with the necessary documents in support of their demand for payment. The suppliers were NETCOMM, DATA NET and PC Systems, and the total amount the companies demanded was E234 730,” Mondlane alleged in her statements.
She also revealed that the Board had since committed to payment of the invoices in four instalments as per the attached letters of demand, and had since paid an amount of E138 730.

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