Mphoko: Thugs Nabbed for Robbing Vice President
1 December 2015
Spread the love

Choppies
Staff Reporter| ZimEye| A cartel of shoplifters in Gwanda has been arrested for stealing from the Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko owned, Choppies Supermarket, located at Phakama business centre, hardly six months since it opened its doors.
A shoplifting syndicate that includes a security guard appeared at the Gwanda Magistrates court facing theft charges from the Vice President’s busy shop.
Friday Sibanda (22), Fanel Tshuma (38) and Hannah Ngwenya, employed as a security guard appeared, before Gwanda magistrate, Sheila Nazombe, after they were caught on closed-circuit- television (CCTV) stealing goods from the supermarket.
The trio who were represented by McAllister Ncube denied the charges, but were convicted by Nazombe due to overwhelming evidence after they watched the CCTV footage.
They were sentenced to 18 months behind bars, with 3 months suspended on condition they pay restitution of $30 each to Choppies. The remaining 15 months were wholly suspended on condition that they each perform 420 hours of community service.
The court heard that on November 8, Sibanda and Tshuma walked into Choppies pushing a trolley just like any other customer. While inside the shop, Sibanda started to load the trolley with goods while Tshuma pushed it around.
The pair proceeded to buy a piece of cake which they paid for before going to purchase electricity and they proceeded to the exit with Sibanda now pushing the trolley laden with goodies worth $90.
Ngwenya who manned the exit, allowed the pair to leave without them producing a receipt for the goods in the trolley. An alert security guard, who suspected the three had connived approached management and asked them to play the CCTV footage which revealed the trio had worked in common purpose to steal the groceries leading to their arrest.