HARARE – Two security guards who illegally pocketed US$53,000 they picked outside Quest Finance premises moments after the company was robbed of over US$700,000 recently have each been jailed two years effective after pleading guilty to theft.
Cornelius Muchikange and Nesbert Kachungwe were initially handed a 48 months jail term by magistrate Ethel Chichera before six months were suspended on condition that they do not commit a similar offence in five years.
A further five months were suspended on condition that they pay back US$18,650 to Quest finance.
The two security guards, employed by J and P Security Company, were part of the reaction team that responded to the robbery after alarm had been raised over the crime at the Harare finance company.
They both admitted on Monday that the picked US$53,000 from the scene and converted it into their own use.
The court heard the two picked a plastic bag with US$53,000 that had been accidentally dropped by the robbers escaping the crime scene and decided to share the loot among themselves.
Muchikange bought a Nissan Silphy for US$3,700 and a residential stand for US$6,000 in Harare’s East View area.
He also used US$2,500 to pay lobola to his in-laws.
His accomplice, Kachungwe bought a Nissan AD Van for US$6,100 using the proceeds as well as building materials valued US$1,000.
The complainant in the matter was Daniel Mandizvidza (54), the head of operations at Quest Financial Services.
According to court papers, on February 25 at around 1:30 AM, 12 robbers who were armed with a pistol, unidentified blank pistol, drill, iron bar, bolt cutter and explosives approached Mandizvidza in his bedroom at the place of work after breaking the door of his bedroom.
They tied him and ransacked several offices.
They blasted a safe in the Operations Manager’s office and stole cash.
The robbers used some detonators to blast a safe and stole cash all valued at US$744,000.
Also stolen were 120 Euros, ZAR 10,500 which they loaded into a plastic bag and cardboard box.
The robbers were disturbed by the arrival of both Safe Guard and J & P Security Service reaction teams.
The court heard the duo parked at the front of the premises.
During their escape, the robbers left a grinder, some fuse detonators, a bag with two laptops, dropped cash amounting to US$5,000 in the premises and escaped from the back of the premises.
Whilst outside the premises, one of the paper bags the robbers were using to carry money got torn and all the cash dropped to the ground and the robbers proceeded without picking it up.
The two accused patrolled near the perimeter wall and found the cash amounting to approximately US$53,000, took and shared it.
On March 8, detectives from CID Homicide Harare received information that the pair had stolen the cash which was dropped by robbers at the scene.
Police detectives managed to arrest the two in Harare CBD.
Upon interrogation, it was also established that on March 7, Muchikange was approached by six male adults purporting to be police officers who impersonated detectives from CID Homicide and they took the remainder of the money he had which amounted to US$15,000.
The same fake CID officers stole US$7,000 from Kachungwe.
The total value stolen is US$53,000 and property value at US$15,700 was recovered.
Zebediah Bofu prosecuted.
