Council cleaner steals US$6.4 from office she was ...

Council cleaner steals US$6.4 from office she was cleaning

Zim Now Writer

A City of Harare cleaner stole US$6 400 from a safe that was in an office where she was cleaning.

Mirriam John, 32, was convicted of theft and money laundering by Harare magistrate Yeukai Dzuda, who sentenced her to 490 hours of community service.

Dzuda initially sentenced her to 32 months imprisonment with six months suspended conditionally.

Of the 26 months, 12 were suspended on condition that she restitutes the complainant the full amount by 14 November.

The remaining 14 months were suspended on condition that John performs 490 hours of community service at Caledonia Clinic.

John’s accomplice, Mercy January, 41, was acquitted after being found not guilty.

The office from where John looted belonged to Sithokozile Murimbechi, 56, who is employed by Harare City Council as a personal assistant to the Town Clerk.

It was the State’s case that on June 10 between 9.30am and 10.30am, John was cleaning toilets while January was cleaning offices at Town House. John finished her work earlier and went to interact with her colleague in Murimbechi’s office where she was cleaning.

John then got access to the Chubb key for the safe in that office and they stole US$6 460 cash belonging to Murimbechi.

Investigations were carried out by detectives which led to the arrest of the two and police were able to recover US$310 and property that had been bought by John.

The value recovered is US$1 890.

In an effort to disguise the illicit origin of the stolen money, John bought a two-piece wardrobe, a set of sofas, a 40-inch television, a fridge, a stove, and clothes among other things.