Telecel manager ‘steals’ generators worth US$145k

A 44-year-old man from Bradfield suburb in Bulawayo has been dragged to court for allegedly abusing his position as a manager at mobile network operator, Telecel, to steal generators and other essential equipment valued at about US$145 000.

Robert Mutasa, a manager at Telecel Zimbabwe, has reportedly been suspended from his employment pending an investigation into the alleged thefts and was arrested last week.

He appeared before Bulawayo regional magistrate, Mr Joseph Mabeza, who remanded him to tomorrow for a bail hearing. Mutasa is being represented by Mr Bruce Israel Masamvu of Masamvu & Da Silva-Gustavo Law Chambers.

According to the prosecutor, Mr Dominic Moyo, Mutasa stole the power-generating equipment from January last year until he was apprehended by police detectives last week. Mr Moyo said out of the US$145 000 value of the equipment, only US$65 000 was recovered.

He told the court that Mutasa’s havoc stretched throughout most of Bulawayo’s suburbs, including Nketa, Makokoba, Northend, Riverside, Nkulumane Mpopoma, Emakhandeni, Matsheumhlope, Richmond, Sauerstown, Hillcrest and Waterford.

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 the equipment for routine servicing.
Mr Moyo said Mutasa was found in possession of stolen radios and other equipment.

“He was seen stealing some of the equipment by a work colleague recently and led police to the recovery of 13x13kva generators, which he had sold,” said Mr Moyo.

He said some of the equipment and generators were put up for sale on terms of agreement. In his initial appearance, the State opposed bail saying Mutasa is a flight risk.

“The accused owns a valid passport and he is a man of means, therefore, if granted bail he may flee, looking at the amount involved. The accused might interfere with investigations and there is a likelihood of interfering with evidence or State witnesses if admitted to bail,” said Mr Moyo. He added that some of the witnesses were located in Hwange and Victoria Falls.

“Therefore, if granted bail, the accused might make it his mission that it is never recovered. The accused is likely to abscond, as he is facing a serious crime, which has overwhelming evidence of recovered property, when a convicted accused may be sentenced to quite a lengthy sentence. The accused is likely to commit other offences, seeing that he has been suspended from work,” said Mr Moyo.