Fairy Café workers on US$4 724 theft charge

TWO employees from Fairy Café appeared in court yesterday for allegedly manipulating computer data and stealing US$4 724.

Theophelous Moyo and Loke Dube appeared before Bulawayo magistrate, Ms Patience Madodo, facing charges of unlawful interference with data or a data storage medium as defined in Section 163(B) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Chapter 9:23, and unlawfully concealing a transaction from a principal as defined in Section 172(1)(a)(i)(ii) of the same Act.

The duo pleaded not guilty to both counts.
Moyo and Dube applied for bail and were granted US$200 bail each. Ms Madodo ordered them to surrender their passports to the police and to report to the police once every two weeks. They were sternly warned not to interfere with State witnesses. The matter was postponed to 17 March for commencement of trial.

Prosecuting, Mr Joseph Rugara told the court that from January 2025 to December 2025, Theophelous Moyo and Loke Dube unlawfully interfered with computer data software by altering credentials of Moyo, who was employed as a manager, to reflect him as the owner of Fairy Café. Moyo then accessed rights to delete important information, including stock records.

The court heard that Dube, who was employed as a security guard, manipulated the computer system using credentials of Moyo.

Dube presented himself as a manager to access the system and deleted information related to stock. While in the system, the accused persons allegedly deleted and concealed transactions amounting to US$4 724.