A POLICE officer stationed at Beitbridge District Headquarters’ Finance Department has been arrested for allegedly stealing about $33,900 and R617,130.
Admire Sibanda (33), a constable, allegedly worked in cahoots with one Walter Komboni (26) and Givemore Ndombonya who is still at large.
Sibanda was arrested in a dawn raid on Friday last week following a tip off.
The cop, a court heard yesterday, stole the money, equivalent to R1,1million, over six months between December and June this year.
Sibanda was responsible for depositing his employer’s money with CBZ bank but allegedly used a fake date stamp to forge deposit slips with his accomplices, and they shared the proceeds.
Sibanda and Komboni appeared before Beitbridge magistrate Mr Godswill Mavenge jointly charged with theft of trust property.
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| Beitbridge cop steals R1,1 million |
The court ordered them to report at Beitbridge Urban Police Station on Fridays.
Prosecuting, Miss Nomathemba Sayi told the court that on June 17 this year police detectives received information that Sibanda was converting the force’s funds into his own use by not depositing it at CBZ bank.
She said the detectives went to the district finance office where they confiscated receipt books and cash deposit confirmation slips.
“They took the receipt books and cash deposit confirmation slips to CBZ Beitbridge for verification and bank officials certified them as fake,” said Miss Sayi.
“It was discovered that Sibanda had 14 police receipt books, which he had processed for the period covering 14 December 2015 to 16 June 2016 and never deposited the money into the force’s bank account.”
Sibanda was then arrested and during interrogations he revealed that on all occasions he took the money from the office pretending to go to the bank to deposit it but instead would go to Komboni who had a fake CBZ bank stamp.
“Following his arrest Constable Sibanda led detectives to his house where $505 and R33,400 was recovered.
‘‘Komboni led detectives to his house where one fake CBZ date stamp, ink pad, ink, one ZRP Revolving Fund completed multicurrency deposit advice slip dated June 16, 2016 with the amount of $1,210, compiled by Dube P, one Olivet PR2 printer Serial number 1535176, one HP Laptop serial number 5CB3141282, used to print fake confirmation slips and $800 were recovered.
Police recovered a total of $1,305 and R33,400, the court heard.
