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Thupeyo Muleya Beitbridge Bureau
A 50-year-old man from Beitbridge was on Tuesday jailed four years along with his nephew (30) for faking an armed robbery and stealing a Honda Fit plus US$25 000 and R114 800 from his employer.
Herbert Nyakudya of Dulilvhadzimu, who is employed as a driver by Utilities Warehouse (Pvt) Ltd as a driver, is accused of having teamed up with nephew Knowledge Kondi whom he gave the cash before making a false report of a purported armed robbery to the police.
The two were convicted on their own plea of guilty to theft and making a false report to the police when they appeared before Beitbridge resident magistrate Mr Takudzwa Gwazemba.
The two were first given 60 month sentences for the theft. Four months were suspended on condition of future good behaviour, another three months who were jointly charged were left with 4 years to serve after Mr Gwazemba conditionally suspended for five years four months of the 60 months for five years.
A further three months were set aside on condition they pay back the US$2 460 not recovered and another month if they pay back the remaining R400.
On the charge of making a false report to the police the two men were fined $30 000 and they risk imprisonment for 30 days should they fail to pay the fine.
Prosecuting, Miss Fezile Mpofu said on October 11 at around 7 am, Nyakudya was assigned to take the company’s book keeper to their supervisor’s house in the Mabidi suburb.
The court heard that along the way, the Nyakudya faked a vehicle breakdown and asked the bookkeeper to go and buy some fuel. While the book keeper was away, he called Kondi to join them and they then drove along the Beitbridge-Bulawayo highway.
In the Zhopembe area some 60km out of Beitbridge, Nyakudya gave his nephew a plastic bag containing the money and switched off his Samsung A3 so Kondi could take it to his rural home in Centenary.
While Kondi took the money and started his journey to Centenary, Nyakudya drove the car into a bushy area some 50 metres away from the road and dumped it.
Miss Mpofu said the bookkeeper raised alarm with his employer when he could not locate Nyakudya.
The book keeper then teamed up with his supervisor to follow up on the vehicle since it had a tracker. The two found him flagging vehicles intending to hitch hike back to Beitbridge from Zhopembe area.
Upon approaching him, Nyakudya indicated that he was attacked by three armed robbers who forced him to drive to the area at gunpoint and that they had taken his cell phone and the money.
The court heard that an armed robbery report was then made to the police and Intensive investigations were launched resulting in the man confessing to detectives that he had feigned an armed robbery.
A follow up was then made in Centenary where US$22 540 and R114 400 was recovered from underneath Kondi’s bed.
Online Reporter