Liberty Dube
Post Correspondent
A BUSINESS entity in Nyanga — Tsanga Flora — fell victim to a suspected inside job after losing US$28 000 to unknown assailants who broke into their offices.
Acting Manicaland provincial police spokesperson, Assistant Inspector Wiseman Chinyoka, said the incident is under investigation, with police focusing on employees holding office keys as potential suspects.
He said the employees were picked up for interrogation since suspicions are strong that the case was an inside job, amid indications that office windows could have been smashed from inside, possibly to cover up for the offence.
The matter was reported to the police by Mr Saul Campbell, who is Tsanga Flora’s general manager.
“Elias Nyazenga, the operations manager at Tsanga Flora, and Thomas Tsaha, an accountant, locked up their offices after work. However, during the night, unknown individuals forced open the window of the accountant’s office using an unspecified object and gained entry. The perpetrators broke a wooden drawer, and stole US$25 500 in cash. They proceeded to break into the operations manager’s office, and stole an additional US$2 568. The stolen funds were intended for employee’s salaries.
“The following day, at around 6am, Ms Portia Sarah Saunyama, a general hand at Tsanga Flora, reported for duty to clean the offices. She visited Elias Nyazenga’s house to collect the office keys, and upon entering into one of the offices, she noticed that everything was scattered all over the floor.
“She became suspicious, and observed that the office window was partially open. Ms Saunyama attempted to inform Nyazenga about the incident, but was unable to reach him. He was not responding to her calls either. She notified the security guard, Mr Morris Ngonidzashe Mandigora, who reported the matter to Mr Campbell,” said Assistant Inspector Chinyoka.
On the same day at around 8am, Mr Campbell proceeded to Nyanga Police Station and filed a report. Detectives from Nyanga attended the scene, and no arrests or recoveries were made.
Fingerprints were uplifted at the crime scene to assist in police investigations.
“Suspects who are holders of the office keys were picked for interrogation since there is strong suspicion that the case is an inside job, and there is likelihood that the windows were broken from inside to cover up for the offence. Total value stolen is US$28 068, and nothing was recovered,” he said.
Assistant Inspector Chinyoka appealed to members of the public with information leading to the arrest of the suspects to contact their nearest police station.
He also warned individuals and companies against keeping large amounts of money.
