Money heist: NetOne loses US$200k as two employees take advantage of weak internal surveillance controls

Gokwe: STATE owned mobile network operator (MNO) Netone Cellular has lost USD200 000 in a well orchestrated airtime scam at their Gokwe branch, Express Mail Zim can exclusively reveal.

The chief architect of the heist is the Gokwe branch supervisor identified as Fungai Daka and an accomplice identified as Coddesa Moyo – both suspects are still at large.

Our impeccable sources on the ground in Gokwe told this publication that Daka sold his luxurious cars and fled the country after he realised that his scam was uncovered by the company’s loss control department-whom he had managed to evade for a lengthy period.

Daka allegely stole airtime and sim cards among other stock using his due influence as supervisor.

He allegedly funded a luxurious lifestyle that raised eyebrows within the cotton farming town of Gokwe.

“This young man took advantage of lax security systems and little to zero surveillance and made a hit for history .

“He rolled in expensive cars around Gokwe and his weakness was women that’s why he was exposed and found wanting.

“It however boggles the mind why his clumsy criminal activity was not picked amid rumours that he was a beneficiary of protection from some top bosses and the amount of money being stated is a drop in the ocean.

“Imagine he sometimes skipped banking errands with no red flag raised.
“Mfana airira uyu mfethu(he was living lavishly my brother) ,” said our source who owns a Liquor Store in Gokwe.

Netone Group CEO Raphael Mushanawani confirmed the loss and said his organisation was seized with internal investigations and they also filed a police report.

“We have an ongoing internal investigation into the matter and are cooperating fully with the relevant authorities.

“Bearing in mind that the matter is now subjudice and we respect the due process of the law. However, we would like to address some inaccuracies .

“Firstly, it is NetOne management that uncovered the alleged fraud through routine spot-checks and internal risk surveillance and controls. “We strongly refute any claims that we protected the accused persons.

“This would be a misnomer on the part of NetOne leadership, as it goes against our mandate of protecting and maximizing shareholder value and interests….” said Mushanawani.

It appears there is no sunshine for Mushanawani as he further vehemently dissociated management from the alleged protection of suspects.

He also said the amount that is said to have been stolen is overstated.

“The alleged fraud is US$60,000 and not US$200,000 as claimed in your article. The airtime vouchers at the centre of the fraud have been blocked, which means the actual prejudice could be much less.

“To clarify, an official police report was immediately made to ZRP Gokwe, who are investigating the case under RRB 5461467. The two accused persons are Codessar Moyo and Fungai Daka,” he said.

This development comes hot on the heels of another loss at the scandal ridden mobile service provider .

In January this year , a whistblower exposed yet another fraud case involving figures well over $550million in a carefully ochestrated plan involving three NetOne Employees,a bulk airtime dealer and his employees.

All the accused were arrested and taken to court.

The leakages within the system however continued to manifest and
in April several top executives were implicated and suspended over allegations of finacial irregularities.

Revelations were that the top executives turned the State-owned institution into a feeding trough by fleecing the organization through abuse of the company’s payment system.

Inside sources said the management can however not be painted with one ‘black brush’ , as most of them were pro-growth and expansion of the institution, save for a few ‘bad apples’ who are bent on stifling growth through corrupt tendencies.