The ManicaPost
Ray Bande and Tendai Gukutikwa
A former Mutare Teachers’ College student was last Thursday recently arrested as he walked off the capping podium on allegations of stealing US$3 000 from FBC Bank.
24-year-old Asume Patrick Mangundu, who was not asked to plead to the charges, but remanded to September 18, had to leave the college premises in the company of detectives.
He was remanded in custody.
Mangundu was being charged with theft as defined in Section 113 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Chapter 9:23 when he appeared before Mutare magistrate, Ms Purity Gumbo on Wednesday.
Mr Godswish Dzivakwe prosecuted.
Allegations are that during the period between January and May 2019, Mangundu, who was employed as an agent for Elaine Marketing and Promotions (Private) Limited which is responsible for selling FBC Instant cards made a cash withdrawal transaction of $59,99 using his own FBC Instant card realising fully well that FBC Holdings bank systems were down and that his bank account had no money.
He unlawfully activated the card which he had been allocated for resale and failed to register it into the system which was his duty.
He later took another FBC Instant card among the cards issued to him for sale, went to Mutare Teachers College where he was previously a student. At the college he paid $1 398 for his own school fees arrears on January 18.
“Mangundu then made two more transactions of $472,89 and $111,70 at Capital Foods on January 22 and a further two transactions of $131,25 and$16 at National Tested Seeds using the same card,” said Mr Dzivakwe.
The value of property stolen was US$3 059 and nothing was recovered.
Even though the State had opposed bail given the amount involved, Ms Gumbo said she could not give Mangundu bail on the grounds that accused persons in similar cases have a tendency of interfering with witnesses.
