Man steals US$4 500 worth of cellphones from emplo...

Man steals US$4 500 worth of cellphones from employer

Michael Mashiri

A Chitungwiza man, who allegedly stole from his boss with the aim of starting his own business with the proceeds, has been taken to court.

Christopher Banda, 24, of Manyame Park in Chitungwiza, appeared at the Harare Magistrates’ Courts charged with theft.

He was remanded in custody

The State alleges that on January 26, 2024, the complainant went to her shop and took charge of the till by entering a user password on the Retailman software system which controls the whole process of sales in a retail shop.

Banda took advantage and allegedly sold two phones on zero deposit and received the money but he did not issue a receipt.

When they finished business, the complainant asked Banda where the money of the phones he had sold earlier was but he did not give a satisfactory answer.

On January 29, 2024, the complainant hired the services of a technician so that he could printout the sales that had been made in January 2024, and she was devastated to find out that Banda, working together with unknown accomplices, had manipulated the system, managed to override her password and made sales that he was not supposed to perform.

The printout also revealed that Banda was selling phones, cosmetics but he was not banking the money.

The State alleges that on the same day when the complainant had called the technician to do a machine run and print-out, Banda approached the technician and tried to talk to him to delete some of the print-out of daily sales but he denied.

Banda then went out of the shop, leaving the complainant and the technician doing the print-out of daily sales.

In the process, he mistakenly left his phone which was then taken by the complainant.

The complainant discovered that Banda had been stealing from her shop for some time planning to quit and start his shop with a former employee, he was also replacing some of the phones which he could have sold in complainant’s shop from a nearby wholesale shop where he was in consistent communication with one Simba for the deals.

Banda’s cellphone had evidence that proved that he was planning to downsize the complainant’s business by stealing from her.

The print-out revealed that Banda had stolen phones amounting to US$4 500 with room to increase as the print out is still being verified.