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Senior Reporter
A BULAWAYO man has pleaded with a magistrate to give him time to sell his house after he allegedly stole more than $13,000 from Shumba Burial Society in a space of two months.
Strike Robert Sayi, 66, of house number 7562/23 Tshabalala, who is the burial society’s chairperson, allegedly converted the money that had been entrusted to his care to his own use, over the festive period.
He appeared before Western Commonage magistrate Willard Maphios Moyo on Friday and was remanded out of custody to April 4.
Sayi, who was not asked to plead, begged the court to remand him out of custody so that he could expedite the sale of his house to restitute the burial society.
“Your worship, may I please be remanded out of custody because I want to dispose of my house in Tshabalala quickly so that I restitute the burial society. Those were the only funds the society had and if there is a funeral right now, the society won’t be able to fund it,” Sayi pleaded.
Kingstone Mkanganwi, for the prosecution, told the court that on a date unknown to him, but during the period extending from December 8 last year to February 1 this year, Sayi unlawfully and in violation of the trust agreement with Shumba burial society allegedly stole $13,531.50.
Circumstances are that on December 8, last year, he was given a cash box with the money and record books belonging to the burial society.
On February 2 this year when members of the burial society met, Sayi was absent.
When his wife was asked about his whereabouts, she told them that he had gone to Kwekwe.
Members of the burial society then called Sayi and he promised to come back with the cash box in a few days’ time and also assured them that it was in a safe place.
From February until March 9, Sayi was no longer answering his mobile phone prompting the burial society members to make a formal report to the police leading to his arrest.
Online Reporter