Telecel manager jailed 8 years for US$145 000 equipment theft

A 46-YEAR-OLD man who was a manager at mobile network operator Telecel has been convicted and sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment for stealing generators and essential equipment valued at about US$145 000.

Robert Mutasa from Bulawayo’s Bradfield suburb appeared this on Friday for sentencing before Bulawayo Regional Magistrate, Mr Mathew Mutiro.

He is being represented by Mr Bruce Israel Masamvu of Masamvu & Da Silva-Gustavo Law Chambers.
The magistrate sentenced him to 10 years, suspending two years on condition that he does not commit a similar offence within a period of five years. Mutasa will effectively serve eight years in jail.

In sentencing him, the magistrate said the offender had premeditated how to execute the crime.
“The offender carefully planned how to steal the generators and other essential equipment over a long period of time.

He tried to cover his tracks, but thorough investigations by the police uncovered the offence,” said Mr Mutiro.
The magistrate highlighted that the value of the property stolen was huge, which made the offence aggravatory.
Mr Mutiro said the offender breached the trust the company’s directors had in him.

“The offender was employed as a manager, which shows that he was in a position of trust, but he breached the trust the company’s management and stakeholders had in him,” he said.

“By stealing the generators, he disadvantaged the clients of the mobile operator, and the company faced huge losses. The recovered generators must be returned to the complainant (Telecel).”

In mitigation, Mr Masamvu said: “The offender is a 46-year-old first offender, who, before this unfortunate incident, had lived his life as a law-abiding citizen without any previous convictions.

“He suffers from diabetes and heart disease, both of which require continuous medical care and monitoring. He is a father of two children who rely entirely on him for financial support.

“His children have already suffered significant hardship, having been withdrawn from private schooling and transferred to a Government school due to financial constraints. He lost his job after he was arrested for stealing generators and was the sole breadwinner.”

Prosecutor, Ms Concilia Ncube, told the court that Mutasa stole the power-generating equipment over a period stretching up to 10 months.

“Out of the US$145 000 value of the equipment, only US$65 000 was recovered. The offender’s havoc stretched throughout most of Bulawayo’s suburbs, including Nketa, Makokoba, Northend, Riverside, Nkulumane, Mpopoma, Emakhandeni, Matsheumhlope, Richmond, Sauerstown, Hillcrest, and Waterford,” she said.

“In other areas, Mutasa allegedly spread his thieving ways to Lochard, Guyu, Northgate, Banda, Lupane, Queens Mine, Mbokodo, West Nicholson, Dadaya and Tamba, using the same modus operandi, where he allegedly informed guards manning the equipment that he was taking it for routine servicing,” said Ms Ncube.

The court heard that a work colleague saw him stealing some of the equipment and led police to the recovery of 13 x 13kVA generators, which he had sold. It was also heard in court that some of the equipment and generators were sold on the terms of an agreement.