Siphakeme .Mnindwa
Trish Mukwazo, [email protected]
A 25-year-old Bulawayo salesperson has been sentenced to three years in prison for embezzling US$5 800 by selling 14 cellphones and pocketing the proceeds.
Bullard Makunde was convicted of theft of trust property by Bulawayo magistrate Mr Ernest Muzembe.
Of the three-year sentence, nine months were suspended for five years on the condition that Makunde does not commit a similar offence during that period. An additional 15 months were suspended on the condition that he restitutes his employer.
Makunde, who worked for Mr Patrick Tarugarira, a Harare-based businessman, sold 14 high-end smartphones, including the latest iPhones and Samsung models, but failed to account for the proceeds when questioned.
In passing the sentence, Mr Muzembe noted the seriousness of the offence, saying Makunde had benefited significantly from the theft, as none of the stolen phones or money was recovered.
“The offender showed a high degree of moral blameworthiness as the employer expected trust, which was violated. A custodial sentence will meet the justice of the case, especially as the employer stated that his business has been forced to shut down due to the losses incurred,” he ruled.
Mr Muzembe said cases of theft of trust property are on the rise in Bulawayo, necessitating deterrent sentences.
The prosecutor, Mr Mehluli Ndlovu told the court that Makunde was employed by Mr Tarugarira between March and November last year to sell cellphones on his behalf. As part of their agreement, Makunde was required to remit the proceeds of the sales.
“In November last year, Mr Tarugarira became suspicious when Makunde stopped remitting money from the sales. He decided to halt the supply of new stock until Makunde cleared the existing inventory,” said Mr Ndlovu.
The matter came to light on Tuesday when MR Tarugarira visited his Bulawayo shop to take stock and found it empty. Upon questioning Makunde, he failed to provide a satisfactory explanation for the missing cellphones.
A report was made to the police leading to Makunde’s arrest. Investigations revealed that Makunde had sold 14 high-end smartphones, including an iPhone 11, Samsung S21 Ultra, iPhone 13 pro-max, iPhone X, Samsung S20 Plus, Samsung S20 Ultra, iPhone XR, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 pro-max and an iPhone 13.
The total value of the stolen phones was US$5,800, and none of the items were recovered.
The court heard that Makunde’s actions left his employer’s business in ruins, as the financial loss forced its closure.
