Zimbabwe mine attempts to recoup stolen funds

Zimbabwe's Mimosa Mine, a joint venture between Mauritius-based Aquarius Platinum and SA's Impala Platinum, is battling to recover about US$700 000 from employees found guilty of defrauding the company. The Sunday Times reports that the firm fired 37 employees implicated after an internal investigation and disciplinary hearing found them guilty of falsely claiming acting allowances for almost five years. It is pursuing a criminal case against former employee Prosper Vundurai, a shift manager accused of being the mastermind behind the alleged fraud. MD Farai Makoni said the internal audit showed the 37 ex-employees received monthly allowances for supposedly acting in various posts after signatures were forged on salary forms. 'Unfortunately due to the confidential nature of payroll we cannot release detailed information,' he said.