AN Assistant Commissioner and her junior an inspector have been sentenced to 24 months imprisonment after they were found guilty swindling $4000 from the Zimbabwe Republic Police’s Kuyedza Women’s Club by a Harare Magistrate.
Harare Magistrate Josephine Sande found suspended Police Assistant Commissioner Fortunate Chirara and Inspector John Madhuku of theft before sentencing them to 24 months imprisonment each.
However, Chirara and Madhuku will effectively serve nine months jail term after Magistrate Sande suspended six months on condition of good behavior and another nine months on condition they restitute the complainant of $2 300 each.
The two had been denying the offence by singling out Commissioner Chengeta’s wife Mirriam Maidei, saying the latter incurred various costs at Kuyedza Women’s Club, but her expenditure receipts were not presented to the audit team.
The convicts had further told court that some receipts relating to Maidei and her driver, one Assistant Inspector Rusengo, who provided services at Bauffer Lodge on May 1 last year on Kuyedza’s fund, were missing.
Chirara and Madhuku also told the court that the receipts for water, which was bought for guests at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair, were deliberately left in an effort to nail them as were receipts for food bought at Chicken Inn in Bulawayo for all Kuyedza Club members.
During cross-examination of the State witness, Commissioner Chengeta denied that the money was withdrawn at the instance of Police Commissioner-General Augustine Chihuri’s wife Isabel, saying Chirara acted in connivance with Madhuku to fleece the club.
Chirara was the senior staff oficer in the club while Madhuku was attached to the Kuyedza Women’s Club and both based at the Police General Headquarters. Chirara’s duties included overall supervision of all police officers attached to the club and overall coordination of the activities in the club with Madhuku being one of the signatories to the club’s bank accout.
From 2015, the State, alleged that the two hatched a plan to steal from the club where they would convert various amounts of money to their own use each time they authorized purchase of goods. As a result of their actions, the club lost $4000 and nothing was recovers.
The ZRP Kuyedza Women’s Club was established by the wives of the police officers residing in camps, through-out Zimbabwe to help empower them with self-sustaining projects and women empowerment.
