Guard chooses jail over restitution

News
A SECURITY guard employed by Guardian Security company, who was convicted and sentenced to six years in jail, which were partly suspended on condition he paid back the company over $13 500 which he stole, has volunteered to spend more time in jail rather than pay the money back.

A SECURITY guard employed by Guardian Security company, who was convicted and sentenced to six years in jail, which were partly suspended on condition he paid back the company over $13 500 which he stole, has volunteered to spend more time in jail rather than pay the money back.

SILAS NKALA STAFF REPORTER

The guard stole the money from a private company after he had been tasked to transport it to a local bank.

The money was discovered missing soon after he had left the bank’s premises.

Lloyd Munsanka of Siabuwa in Binga had denied the theft charges when he appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Charity Maphosa, but was convicted after a full trial.

Maphosa, in September last year, sentenced Munsaka to six years in jail and suspended three years for five years on condition of good behaviour.

She suspended another 18 months on condition he returned the money he stole back to the complainant.

This meant he was left with one year and six months to serve.

He was given up to November 30 to pay the money back.

But last Wednesday when Maphosa asked him if he would be able to get the money to pay back the complainant, Munsaka said: “I would rather serve for it.”

“Is prison now so bearable that you people prefer to stay in than pay restitution and getting free?” asked Maphosa.

“No! It is just because of the way we are made to come to court and when locked in custody you have no means to get money so I would rather serve a jail term,” he responded.

“(The) court will write down that you will now serve the 18 months which were suspended on condition of restitution,” ruled Maphosa.

This means that he will serve a total of three years in jail.

The State represented by Kudakwashe Jaravaza alleged that on March 28 last year, Munsaka was on duty during the transportation of cash from TV Sales and Hire to Standard Chartered Bank.

Munsaka collected the money and signed for it before being handed the keys to the boxes.

While in the vehicle, he told Caswell Nyamakanga, who was assigned the gunner duties during the cash transportation, that he had a boil on his buttock and he preferred sitting on a spare wheel which was in the cash compartment.

While in the compartment, he alleged opened the cash boxes using the keys he had and stole cash amounting to $13 559 and locked the boxes.

The accused was left at Standard Chartered Bank, where he was supposed to bank the cash, but dumped the cash boxes and disappeared.

The money was not recovered and a report was made to the police, leading to his arrest.

In his defence Munsaka professed ignorance on the missing cash and instead passed the blame to the bank officials.

He said while they were at the bank he was called by his friend who said he had got a job for him in Binga as his current employer had not paid him for four months.