A 31-YEAR-OLD Harare woman was yesterday convicted on unlawful entry and theft charges after she connived with three other suspects to steal $12 000 from her mother’s employer.
BY DESMOND CHINGARANDE
Chido Precious Sopo, who pleaded guilty to the charges, is expected to be sentenced today by Harare magistrate Josephine Sande.
The complainant in the matter is Tapiwa Matore, who is an operations manager at a company unnamed in court papers.
According to prosecutor Peter Kachirika, on June 9 this year, Matore knocked off duty and went home, leaving Catherine Zambe, Sopo’s mother, behind to close windows and lock the doors.
The court heard Sopo then hatched a plan to steal from her mother’s employer, whereupon she teamed up with Courage Makumborenga, one Munaki and a woman only identified as Mai Tariro, who are still at large.
Sopo then entered through an unlocked gate and proceeded to a storeroom window, where she broke a pane before forcing it open.
After that, her accomplices cut off a burglar bar using a bolt cutter, gained entry and inserted a sharp object between the door frame and the door, after which they dragged the safe out.
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The court heard they went out of the house, hired a taxi and disappeared from the scene.
Matore is said to have discovered the offence in the morning and made a report to the police.
Investigations were carried out and the detectives received information that there was a money safe being forced open in Epworth.
When the police arrived, they located Makumborenga, Munaki, and one Ashton Takaitei trying to load the already opened safe into a commuter omnibus.
The court heard upon seeing the detectives, they ran away, but the officers managed to arrest Sopo and when they searched the house, they recovered part of the stolen money, but a total of $11 000 remained unaccounted for.
