Cop steals $13 000 pension from aunt
By Tendai Rupapa
A police officer from the ZRP’s Police Protection Unit allegedly stole more than $13 000 from his aunt after he used her ATM card to swipe and purchase goods at various shops in Harare.
The money had been deposited into the widow’s bank account by the Pensions Office as pension for her late husband.
Dominic Mhlanga (28) appeared before magistrate Ms Barbara Chimboza charged with theft. He was not asked to plead to the charge and was freed on $50 bail with the State’s consent.
Mhlanga is a nephew to Happiness Mavhunga’s late husband, who was a soldier.
Prosecuting, Mr Sebastian Mutizirwa alleged that sometime last year, Mavhunga asked Mhlanga to assist her in purchasing groceries and withdrawing cash from retail shops using the cash-back facility.
On September 1, the two managed to buy goods from different shops and Mhlanga remained with Mavhunga’s bank card.
When she got home, the complainant discovered that she did not have her card.
She phoned Mhlanga who informed her that he had the card but had forgotten to give it back to her.
It is the State’s case that he promised to return the card. Mhlanga, the court heard, returned the card to his aunt after a week.
Mavhunga discovered that the card was no longer serviceable and approached her bank to have the problem fixed.
Sometime in May this year, the complainant, who was expecting pension money for her late husband, sent her brother to enquire at the Pensions Office the position regarding the money since she had not received anything.
The State alleged that the Pensions Office confirmed that $14 138,49 had been deposited into Mavhunga’s account in September 2016.
She obtained a bank statement and discovered that $13 252 had been withdrawn by Mhlanga from her account between September 1 and 6 through the purchase goods at various shops in Harare. The Herald
