Woman in court for defrauding NGO

Michael Mashiri
A Glen Lorne woman, who is alleged to have swindled more than US$205 000 that was meant to fund a project meant to provide entrepreneurial opportunities to former farm workers in the rural areas and nothing was recovered, has appeared in court.

Sekai Emmie Wade, 68, of Glen Lorne, appeared before magistrate Feresi Chakanyuka at the Harare Magistrates’ Courts, accused of fraud.

The complainant in this case is Evangelisches Werk Fur Diakonie and Entwicklung, translated as Evangelical Work for Social Welfare and Development, a German non-governmental organiation.

Wade is the founder and sole director of Kunzwana Women Association, a nongovernmental organisation that was formed by her to aid with entrepreneurial opportunities to former farm employees in the rural areas located in Chiremba Road, Hillside in Harare.

The State, through prosecutor Tawanda Nyandoro, alleges that sometime in 2017, Evangelical Work for Social Welfare and Development entered into an agreement with Wade to run a project in Zimbabwe which the two parties named project A-ZWE-2017 0332.

The project was meant to provide entrepreneurship opportunities to former farm workers in the rural areas of Zimbabwe and would commence on January 1, 2018 and end on December 31, 2020.

The terms of agreement were that the Evangelical Work for Social Welfare and Development would provide funds for the project and Wade implement the project using the funds.

Wade, however did not use the money for the project as per agreement.

Evangelical Work for Social Welfare and Development had allegedly given Wade US$466 000 as funds to run the project.

Wade did not use the money for the projects, but, instead withdrew it and used to her own benefit.

From February 1, 2018 and November 21, 2019 Wade diverted the money and transferred US$88 765.25 into her Barclays Bank account in the United Kingdom.

And from February 1 and March 27, 2019, Wade transferred US$90 000 into her BancABC Bank account in Zimbabwe.

On February 1, 2018 and April 16, 2018, Wade transferred US$4 000 and US$5 000 to her son Mationesa Wade who is in the United Kingdom.

The money was transferred into his Barclays Bank United Kingdom account.

From May, 15 and July 5, 2018, Wade transferred US$17 500 to her son Chikomborero Wade, who is also in the United Kingdom.

The money was transferred into his Barclays Bank United Kingdom account.

The money Wade sent to the United Kingdom was meant to pay for her sons' college fees on the expense of the intended beneficiaries.

During the period she was committing the offences, Wade would raise some fictitious quotations, invoices and receipts purporting to have bought cars, the documents of which she would then present to

Evangelical Work for Social Welfare and Development.
In some instances Wade would also present fictitious invoices and receipts purporting to have received services for the projects from service providers.

Wade’s actions came to light when an audit was done. The matter was reported to the police and investigations led to her arrest.

The purported suppliers were interviewed and they denied what Wade had been alleging saying they had not sold anything to her.

As a result of Wade, Evangelical Work for Social Welfare and Development suffered a financial prejudice of US$205 265.25 and nothing was recovered.

Chakanyuka ordered Wade to pay ZWL$150 000 bail. She was instructed to appear in court on June 20 for a trial date.