Woman jailed for exploiting robbery to steal US$27 000

A BULAWAYO woman who exploited the chaos of an armed robbery at her workplace to steal over US$27 000 has been sentenced to seven years in prison.

Nothando Banana (35) was convicted of fraud and theft of trust property by Bulawayo regional magistrate Mrs Dambudzo Malunga.

She had also faced a charge of forgery, but was acquitted due to insufficient evidence.

For fraud, Banana was sentenced to three years, while the theft charge earned her four years, with one year suspended on condition of good behaviour, leaving her with six years to serve.

In passing sentence, Mrs Malunga condemned Banana’s conduct, describing it as a calculated betrayal of trust.

“The six-year sentence reflects the court’s view that such calculated betrayal of trust deserves severe punishment.

“The accused demonstrated a callous disregard for both her employer and her colleagues, who were genuine victims of the armed robbery,” she said.

Mrs Malunga further noted that the crime was not opportunistic, but rather a premeditated act that exploited a crisis for personal gain.

Prosecuting, Mr Owen Mugari said the incident occurred at Steel Force, a company located in Bulawayo’s Belmont industrial area where Banana was employed.

Armed robbers, wielding pistols and a garden pick, stormed the premises and created panic among employees.

Amid the confusion, Banana, who was responsible for safeguarding company funds, seized the moment to siphon money from a safe under her custody.

“Instead of being a victim like her colleagues, Banana saw the robbery as the perfect cover to execute her criminal plan,” said Mr Mugari.

The robbers tied up security guards and staff using shoelaces, then proceeded to an upstairs office where they used a grinder to force open two safes.

They stole US$32 500 from one of the safes, while the second safe, the one Banana controlled, was left untouched.

However, an audit conducted after the robbery raised red flags. While the tampered safe losses were known, the untouched safe was found to contain only US$2 600 out of the expected US$27 209.

“They then asked Banana for the keys and opened the safe in her presence. That’s when they discovered the shortfall,” said Mr Mugari.

Upon questioning, Banana confessed to the theft, leading to her arrest. She was represented by Mr Herbert Shenje of Shenje and Company.