A former credit controller at Varichem Pharmaceutical (Pvt) Ltd. has been arrested for allegedly misappropriating over US$347,000 in client payments collected on behalf of the company.
Milton Goremusandu, 42, appeared before Harare Magistrate Marewanazvo Gofa, facing charges of theft of trust property and money laundering.
The complainant in the case is Varichem Pharmaceutical, a local pharmaceutical manufacturer, represented by its finance manager, Joel Muswa, 35.
According to the prosecution, led by Rufaro Chonzi, Goremusandu’s role as credit controller involved receiving and recording payments from the company’s clients, both debtors and cash customers.
The alleged fraud came to light in May 2025, after the company received a whistleblower tip claiming that Goremusandu had been colluding with Edwell Sibanda, a debtors clerk who has since been arrested, to divert funds meant for the company.
An internal inquiry reportedly revealed that between 2021 and May 2025, Goremusandu had accepted large sums of money from several clients—including Trinity Pharmacy (US$252,930.25), Vidamac Pharmaceuticals (US$36,350.34), Asca Health Care (US$33,220.12), and Care Point Pharmacy in Chinhoyi (US$24,829.28)—but failed to deposit the funds into the company’s account.
Investigators allege that Goremusandu manipulated accounting records by instructing Sibanda to make false journal entries—crediting customers who had paid but debiting the accounts of those who did not owe anything—thereby masking the theft.
The company reportedly suffered financial losses totalling US$347,329.99 as a result of this scheme.
Following a police report filed on 12 May, Sibanda was arrested at his workplace on 14 May 2025. Days later, on 18 May, detectives visited Goremusandu’s residence, where they seized two vehicles suspected to have been purchased using the stolen funds—a grey Toyota Fortuner worth approximately US$60,000 and a white Toyota Corolla Axio valued at around US$10,000. Both vehicles were registered under Goremusandu’s name.
The State argues that the assets recovered are part of the proceeds from the alleged criminal activities, and the total amount involved stands at US$347,329.99, with US$70,000 worth of property already recovered.
