News / Local
Man steals 30 tonnes of maize
04 Aug 2012 at 07:01hrs | Views
A Bulawayo man diverted 30 tonnes of maize valued $17 768 imported from Malawi and later lied to the police about his residential address.
Samuel Machayaya (28), of House Number 2814 Nketa 7 had pleaded not guilty to theft and supplying false information to a public authority, but was convicted by Bulawayo provincial magistrate Mrs Vivian Ndlovu.
In convicting him Mrs Ndlovu said the State led by Mr Jeremiah Mutsindikwa had proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt.
Machayaya was remanded out of custody on his own cognisance to Monday for mitigation and sentence after his lawyer, Mr Nathaniel Tawanda Mashayamombe, of Mashayamombe and Company indicated that he needed time to get instructions before he could submit written submissions in mitigation.
The State proved that sometime in April last year, Machayaya diverted 30 tonnes of maize meant for World Vision that had been imported from Malawi.
He called a stock feed producer based in Thorngrove and misled him that he had some maize that had been condemned as unfit for human consumption.
He sold the 30 tonnes of maize for $4 500 and was paid the money.
After the theft had been detected, police traced the buyer through Machayaya's indications and recovered the stolen maize but he failed to reimburse the buyer.
He was arrested on 13 April last year and was taken to Donnington Police Station where he told the investigating officer that he stayed at House Number 2825 Nketa 7.
Investigations established that he had lied about where he stayed.
In his defence, Machayaya, who was not legally represented during the trial, told the court that he did not know his residential address because he was a lodger and that his landlord did not want visitors.
It was his story that he knew that numbers of houses in the area he stayed in started with 28.
Samuel Machayaya (28), of House Number 2814 Nketa 7 had pleaded not guilty to theft and supplying false information to a public authority, but was convicted by Bulawayo provincial magistrate Mrs Vivian Ndlovu.
In convicting him Mrs Ndlovu said the State led by Mr Jeremiah Mutsindikwa had proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt.
Machayaya was remanded out of custody on his own cognisance to Monday for mitigation and sentence after his lawyer, Mr Nathaniel Tawanda Mashayamombe, of Mashayamombe and Company indicated that he needed time to get instructions before he could submit written submissions in mitigation.
The State proved that sometime in April last year, Machayaya diverted 30 tonnes of maize meant for World Vision that had been imported from Malawi.
He called a stock feed producer based in Thorngrove and misled him that he had some maize that had been condemned as unfit for human consumption.
He sold the 30 tonnes of maize for $4 500 and was paid the money.
After the theft had been detected, police traced the buyer through Machayaya's indications and recovered the stolen maize but he failed to reimburse the buyer.
He was arrested on 13 April last year and was taken to Donnington Police Station where he told the investigating officer that he stayed at House Number 2825 Nketa 7.
Investigations established that he had lied about where he stayed.
In his defence, Machayaya, who was not legally represented during the trial, told the court that he did not know his residential address because he was a lodger and that his landlord did not want visitors.
It was his story that he knew that numbers of houses in the area he stayed in started with 28.
Source - TC
