$20 000 thief jailed

Noah Pito
The illegal fuel dealer arrested last Wednesday for stealing US$20 000 from the scene of an accident that killed Defence Minister Sydney Sekeramayi’s son, Shungu, a fortnight ago has been sentenced to six years in jail by a Karoi magistrate.Nomatter Mind Mandova (26) a fuel dealer operating at Chikuti along the Harare-Chirundu highway and resident at Number 114 Chikangwe, Karoi, was convicted on his own plea of guilt when he appeared before magistrate Mr Obidience Matare last Friday.

“I never thought of surrendering the cash to the police for I thought it was good luck that had come my way. I could also not disclose it to my colleagues since they would want us to share the cash,” Mandova told the court as he pleaded for leniency.

Mandova had a year of his sentence suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour while a further two years were set aside on condition he restitutes Shungu’s mother Mrs Tsitsi Sekeramayi (the complainant) the unrecovered sum of US$4 455 before the end of August this year.

The court heard that on May 18 this year Shungu who was travelling to Zambia in the company of two passengers and had a khaki envelope containing US$20 000 in the dashboard of his Mercedes Benz.

When his vehicle was involved in an accident with a South African registered abnormal load haulage truck at Chikuti, Shungu died on the spot while Mandova and his two colleagues were among the first people to attend to the scene before police arrived.

Mandova who picked a khaki envelop from the tarmac unnoticed, quickly vanished into a nearby bush where he discovered that it contained US$20 000 in bundles of 100, 50 and 20 dollar denominations.

Later that day Mandova proceeded to Murereka Township at Lion’s Den where he gave his girlfriend Nyepudzai Mhizha US$1 000 for personal use.

He also engaged his friend Bartos Kwenje to buy him buckets of shelled maize after giving him US$480.

From Lions Den he proceeded to his uncle Abel Mandova’s homestead in Madziva, Bindura where he had a drinking binge with friends and relatives.

While in Madziva, Mandova also bought two beasts from villagers under Chief Mutumba.

He was arrested last week after police raided his uncle’s homestead following a tip off from a Karoi resident. After his arrest police recovered US$12 150 and people who had transactions with him also co-operated. Mr Webster Dimingo prosecuted.