By A Correspondent| The Cotton Company of Zimbabwe allegedly lost sixteen thousand bale ties worth over twenty thousand United States dollars to an employee with the suspect dragged to court on theft charges.

Lawrence Chiriri who is employed as a stores person by Cottco was remanded in custody pending his bail ruling set for this Monday.

Chiriri stands accused of stealing 16000 bale ties worth around 23 000 United Srates dollars.

It is alleged that Chiriri connived with accomplices who are yet to be apprehanded to steal the bale ties which they allegedly loaded in a truck that came to collect ginned seed to Afro Run Co based in Norton.

The court heard that a tip off was received by Cottco Loss Control leading a physical stock count exercise of the bale ties.

The stock take revealed that about 16000 bale ties were missing and the accused person, being the custodian of the bale ties failed to account for the missing ties leading to his arrest.

Chiriri’s court appearance had its fair share of drama as his boss Cottco Area manager for Chiredzi Innocent Gukwe secured the lawyer for the accused at the same time compromising his fiduciary duties.

Gukwe also threatened the Investigating Officer that if he keeps on investigating Director of CID will thoroughly deal with him.

Gukwe is not new to controversies as he was once arrested by the Zimbabwe Anti-corruption Commission (ZACC) last year on allegations of theft and corruption though the then company leadership failed to arraign him before a disciplinary hearing.