Unpaid work for car parts thieves

Court Reporter

TWO women have been ordered to perform 420 hours of community service each, and pay back Z$15 million (US$13 000) for the car parts they stole from their employer by month end.

Chipo Chingonzo Chataika (33) and Particia Munhongararwa (29) were employed by ABB Motors along Kaguvi Street when a stock check revealed that huge quantities of car parts worth US$12 890 were missing.

Chataika was in charge of the stock while Munhongararwa was her assistant and when asked to account for the missing car parts, they failed to do so, leading to their arrest. They both denied the charge of theft when their trial began before Harare magistrate Ms Barbara Mateko, who convicted the two after a fully contested trial. They were each slapped with 36 months’ imprisonment of which six months suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour.

A further 18 months’ each was suspended on condition the two make restitution by paying Z$15 126 057, through the Clerk of Court, Harare, on or before July 30.

The remaining 12 months was also put on hold on condition that Chataika and Munhongararwa complete 420 hours of community service at Kuwadzana Police Station and Warren Park Poly Clinic.

The third accused, Mr Philip Mhara, was acquitted due to lack of evidence.

During trial the prosecution established beyond reasonable doubt that from a period from October 2021 to January 2022 Chataika and Munhongararwa stole huge quantities of car parts belonging to ABB Motors.

In their defence, the pair denied the allegations claiming that there was no direct evidence linking them to the crime. They further claimed that the fact that they were stationed at the shop at 57 Kaguvi Street where the loss occurred did not automatically mean they had stolen the property as they did not generate the transfer documents.

They sought to argue that the audit report which the company relied on could not tell the exact point in time when the unaccounted goods were stolen from the shop.

The basis of criminal charges is to prove a case beyond reasonable doubt looking at the evidence that would have been adduced in court to prove the essential elements of such charges, which the prosecution established.