A Zimbabwean woman accused of a brazen US$120K fraud has been arrested in Mozambique, scuppering her alleged plans to flee to the United States. Angeline Tatenda Khaka, a former receptionist at the prestigious Acacia Junior School, was handed over to authorities in Harare last week after an international manhunt. The arrest marks a stunning fall from grace for the employee once entrusted with the school’s financial heart.
The court heard how Khaka, who held a position of significant responsibility, allegedly orchestrated the sophisticated fraud over a thirteen-month period. Her duties placed her in sole charge of collecting school fees, issuing receipts, and managing the institution’s daily cash flow. Crucially, she was the only keyholder for the school’s vault and cash box, a level of access that prosecutors claim she exploited systematically.
The intricate web of deception began to fray on a fateful day in February 2022, when two unidentified gentlemen stormed the school grounds. They were not parents, but individuals demanding that Khaka return substantial sums they had given her for a separate car importation deal. Sympathy Mutamba, the school’s accountant and administrator who is representing the institution, recounted the chaotic scene.
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“The men were agitated, insisting that Ms Khaka reimburse them immediately,” Mutamba stated. “She became visibly distressed and pleaded with management to be excused from her duties to resolve what she called a ‘personal matter’.”
The school authorities, wishing to avoid a scene, instructed the group to take their dispute elsewhere and granted Khaka temporary leave. That was the last time anyone at Acacia Junior School saw her. Mutamba added,
“She vanished. All attempts to contact her were futile. That is when our suspicion turned to certainty.”
Acacia Junior School Receptionist Accused Of US$120k School Theft Arrested In Maputo
With Khaka having absconded, the school’s management was forced to take drastic action. They made the decision to break open the vault and cash box she had so closely guarded. The discovery inside confirmed their worst fears. Mutamba explained,
“The vault was meant to be secure, but it was clear that a significant amount of cash was missing. The reality of the situation was staggering.”
An immediate audit was launched, tracing the financial records and revealing a pattern of alleged theft totalling US$120,140. Not a single cent of the massive sum has been recovered. A formal report was filed with the police, who subsequently enlisted the global reach of Interpol, placing Khaka on a red notice for international arrest.
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For over a year, Khaka remained at large, believed to have fled Zimbabwe. Her flight, however, came to an abrupt end in the Mozambican capital. On March 6th of this year, she reportedly attended the United States Embassy in Maputo in a bid to secure a visa for onward travel. It was there that the international alert system finally caught up with her. Mozambican authorities detained her and facilitated her repatriation to Zimbabwe, where she now faces the full weight of the legal system for her alleged crimes.
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