ADMARC employee steals MK108,6m

An ADMARC employee has been arrested for stealing cash and property worth MK108,600,000.

The suspect, Veronica Mtonga, who works at Lumbadzi ADMARC, stole cash amounting to MK855, 000, 3, 033 bags of maize valued at MK16.7 million and 4, 140 bags of subsidized fertilizer worth MK91 million.

After running out of items to steal, the ADMARC employee then decided to steal 5 ADMARC account books valued at MK7,500.  

According to Kanengo Public Relations Officer, Esther Mkwanda, from October 2015 Lumbadzi Depot started receiving maize from Zambia meant to be distributed to other markets across the region.

However, Mtonga, 35, was not indicating receipt of the commodity in her records.

The woman did not also indicate in her books receipt of 4,140 fertilizer subsidy bags.

But she did not know that drivers of the trucks delivering the maize were submitting delivery notes to ADMARC Regional Manager and this was evidence to show that Lumbadzi Depot was receiving the maize.

When it was time for stock-taking, Mtonga failed to account for the maize and fertilizer and she wrote the Regional Manager admitting that there were indeed “some anomalies”.

The corporation sent auditors to her office but she run away. ADMARC was left with no choice but to report the matter to police and officers arrested the woman on Monday last week.

Mtonga has since been charged with theft by public servant which is contrary to Section 283 of the Penal code, a charge which she denied when she appeared before the Mkukula Magistrate Court On Friday.

Meanwhile, she is on remand at Maula Prison and she will appear before court in 14 days for hearing.

Mtonga hails from Padukana Village, Traditional Authority Kaluluma, Kasungu, and she has worked with ADMARC for 13 years, 5 years of which she have been at Lumbadzi Depot.