BY ROMINAH FAKA
The case of a female teacher charged with embezzling millions of dollars from Government in 2017 and 2018 will return to the Magistrate Court on Friday (April 4) for mention.
The matter was heard in court last week where prosecution said it would be making and amendment to the charge in the next interim-mention.
Court adjourned the matter for April 4, instructing prosecution to make amendments before trial begins on April 14.
Cecilia Samani Tome was initially charged with one count of embezzlement and she pleaded not guilty to the charge and a trial was conducted before principal magistrate Beneteti Tearo.
The trial did not involve calling of witnesses but was done by paper.
After prosecution completed its case, defence made a ‘no case to answer’ submission.
Court ruled that Tome had a no case to answer to the embezzlement charge and acquitted her.
Prosecution appealed against the magistrate’s decision to the High Court.
After hearing the appeal, Judge Leonard Maina remitted the matter to the Magistrate Court for retrial before another magistrate.
Mrs Tome pleaded not guilty again after the case was remitted back to the magistrates court.
Prosecution alleged that two large payments totalling up to more than $3 million were paid into Tome’s bank account in December 2017.
The error payment was made by a payroll staff in the Ministry of Finance and Treasury (MOFT).
Instead of putting the amount sent from the Ministry of Education, he mistakenly put the date from which the back payments should start for Tome.
This resulted in the over-payment of more than $3 million into Tome’s personal salary account.
Prosecution also alleged that Tome embezzled $1.3 million which she used for her personal benefit after she was mistakenly paid the $3,806,297.77.
John Wesley Zoze from Office of Director of Public Prosecution is prosecuting and Ben Alasia of PSO acts for Tome.
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