Theft of $7 385 public funds earns registrar 2-year jail term
CHIPINGE – Chipinge Registry Office registrar, Austin Dube received a 2-year prison sentence for misusing $7 385 office funds.
The 61-year-old appeared before Chipinge Magistrates’ Court facing two counts of theft of trust property as defined in Section 113(2)(d) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, Chapter 9:23.
The State alleges that on July 29, 2024, the Provincial Registrar for Manicaland Province who is the complainant in this matter, discovered financial irregularities in the accused person’s office.
The complainant ordered an investigation that uncovered a shortfall of $4 115 in funds collected from sub-offices which the accused person failed to account for.
The court heard that on August 28, 2024, the accused person received registry revenue collection fees totaling $6 793, along with a deposit slip from the accountant for banking purposes but the funds were never deposited.
Dube instructed the accountant to collect revenue from Chibuwe and Chisumbanje sub-offices and the accountant subsequently collected a total of $2 586.
On August 31, 2024, the accused person visited the accountant’s office carrying a black plastic bag. He instructed the accountant to open and count the cash inside. However, instead of the $6 793 he received on August 28, 2024, the bag contained only $3 523.
He insisted that the accountant write a fresh deposit slip bearing the initial $6 793 and the additional $2 586 collected from sub-offices. However, the accountant was uneasy with this request and reported the matter to the Provincial Registrar.
A police report was filed, resulting in the arrest of the accused person.
The total amount stolen was $7 385, unfortunately none of it has been recovered.
The accused person was sentenced to 3 years’ imprisonment with 1 year suspended on condition of restitution, resulting in an effective prison term of 2 years.
