An employee of a prominent chicken company, Nerissa Lee Hotchkis, found herself embroiled in a legal dispute after allegedly misappropriating company funds. Hotchkis, aged 50 and serving as the head administrator at Charles Stewart Day Old Chicks (Pvt) Ltd, faced charges of theft of trust property in court yesterday.
Representatives from the company, including security officer Enock Dende, appeared in court alongside the accused. The prosecution outlined that Hotchkis had been entrusted with safeguarding a sum of US$67,896, but an audit revealed a discrepancy. It was discovered that US$13,906 of the entrusted funds had been unlawfully diverted for personal use.
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The discrepancy came to light during a routine audit conducted by General Manager James Heath and Human Resources Manager Grace Chinamora. Despite being tasked with safeguarding the funds chicken company, Hotchkis failed to account for the missing amount when confronted by her superiors. Subsequently, a police report was filed, initiating legal proceedings.
Despite efforts to recover the misappropriated funds, none were successful. Prosecuting attorney Rufaro Chonzi presented the case, underscoring the serious nature of the allegations against Hotchkis.