Gardener, wife steal US$ 40 000 from employer

A GARDENER and his wife have appeared in court for allegedly stealing US$40 000 from the employer and using the money to buy a house and a vehicle.

Lot Chakanga (41) and Sophia Siakakaye (39) appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Evelyn Mashavakure charged with theft.

They pleaded not guilty and were released on $200 000 bail each, with the matter returning to court on May 16 for trial commencement.

The State alleged that on March 23, at around 8am, Chakanga was doing his gardening chores at the complainant Mr Ian Macmillan’s house in Chisipite.

On the same day at around 2pm, Mr Macmillan arrived home driving his Land Rover Discovery and parked it.

Due to his disability, any one of his workers assists him to disembarking the vehicle each time he arrives.

On this day, Chakanga was the one who assisted him and took out his wheelchair from the back of the vehicle and took him inside the house which is approximately 40 metres from the parking lot.

Mr Macmillan then instructed him to clean his vehicle where he had left an envelope with US$40 000 in the glove compartment.

Chakanga cleaned the vehicle and left all doors and windows closed.

After one hour and 40 minutes, Mr Macmillan returned to the vehicle to collect the money, but could not find it.

He called Chakanga and two other gardeners and asked them about the money and they all said they never saw it.

Mr Macmillian then sent two other gardeners to search Chakanga’s staff quarters and they could not find the envelope.

He then filed a report with the police and came back home at around 5pm the same day, but Chikanga and his wife where nowhere to be seen.

The court heard that at around 7:30pm, Mr Macmillan called Chakanga to inquire about his whereabouts and he told him that he was at the shops and would be back soon, but he never returned.

Detectives received information that Chakanga was in Karoi and they made follow-ups before locating him in Chinhoyi.

When they searched him nothing was found on him. Upon interrogation, Chakanga implicated Siakakaye as the one he gave the money to when he stole it.

Further interrogation revealed that the two had bought a house which they were now living in Rusununguko suburb, Chinhoyi, and they produced an agreement of sale.

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