Gardner and wife steal from employer, splash loot ...

Gardner and wife steal from employer, splash loot on house and car

A-41-year gardener, Lot Chikanga, and his wife Sofia Siakakaye,39, were recently dragged before the courts for stealing US$40 000 from their employer, Ian Mcmillan,42.

Chikanga and his wife are expected back in court on May 16.

The couple splashed the money on buying a house and car.

Harare magistrate Evelyn Mashavakure did not ask the two to plead when they appeared in court and were released on ZW$200,000 bail each.

The alleged theft took place on March 23 this year at Mcmillan’s Chisipite home.

According to court papers, Mcmillan arrived home driving his Land Rover Discovery and due to his disability, one of his workers came to assist him from disembarking the vehicle.

“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 was approximately 40 metres from the parking lot.

“Macmillan then instructed him to clean his vehicle where he had left an envelope with US$40,000 in the glove compartment,” reads the court papers.

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

It is alleged that after about an hour and 30 minutes, Macmillan returned to the vehicle to collect the money but could not find it.

The businessman summoned Chakanga and two other gardeners to question them on the missing cash but they both denied seeing the money.

He then sent two other gardeners to go and search Chakanga’s staff quarters room but could not find the envelope with the cash.

Macmillan then went to the police to file a report and on his return at around 5pm, Chakanga and his wife were nowhere to be found.

The court heard that at around 7:30pm on the same day, Macmillan called Chakanga to ask about his whereabouts.

Chakanga told his boss he had left for the shops and was about to return but did not return.

Detectives later received information that Chakanga was in Karoi. They then made follow ups and located him in Chinhoyi and when they searched him, they could not find the cash.

Chakanga admitted taking the cash and handing it to his wife for safekeeping.

Further questioning revealed the two had bought a house in which they were now living in Rusununguko, Chinhoyi. An agreement of sale with the owner was also produced.

They bought a Nissan two tonne lorry for US$3,000 which they parked at a house belonging to Chikanga’s brother.

Part of the money was also used to buy building materials as the house was bought semi-complete.

The rest of the money was unaccounted for.