News / National
Man jailed 12 months for stealing bank card
18 Dec 2017 at 23:21hrs | Views
A MAN from Hwange will forever curse the day he decided to be ungrateful to his friend after he was sentenced to 12 months in jail for stealing his bank ATM card.
Samuel Tembo (29) of N80 Lwendulu Village was invited for a beer drink by a friend, Mr Thomas Nyoni and later stole his ATM card. He used it to buy groceries, fuel and cigarettes with a combined value of close to $150.
Tembo pleaded guilty to four counts of theft when he appeared before Hwange magistrate Mrs Portia Mhlanga-Moyo.
He was lucky to be spared jail life after the magistrate suspended six months on condition of good behaviour.
The remaining six months were suspended on condition that Tembo completes 210 hours of community service at the Hwange magistrate's court.
Prosecuting, Mr Onias Nyathi said Tembo was invited for a beer drink by Mr Nyoni of G11C Lwendulu a fortnight ago.
Tembo then stole the card at Glow Service Station in Hwange where they had stopped to refuel.
"On 5 December at 11pm, the complainant hired a taxi and proceeded to Glow Petroleum for refuelling. He gave the fuel attendant an ATM card and furnished him with a PIN code so the vehicle could be refuelled," said the prosecutor.
Mr Nyathi said after fuelling, the attendant Mr Botha Maruvisi handed over the card and it was received by the accused, who hid it.
The court heard that the two drove to Truck Inn and Mr Nyoni demanded his ATM from Tembo who, however, denied ever taking it from the attendant.
Mr Nyoni went back to the fuel attendant who confirmed that he had given the ATM card to Tembo.
The court was told that the following day, Tembo, who had memorised the PIN code, went on a shopping spree at OK Supermarket where he bought groceries worth $93 using the card.
During the same day, he swiped for fuel and packets of cigarettes with a combined value of $49.
Tembo was arrested after investigations by the police.
Samuel Tembo (29) of N80 Lwendulu Village was invited for a beer drink by a friend, Mr Thomas Nyoni and later stole his ATM card. He used it to buy groceries, fuel and cigarettes with a combined value of close to $150.
Tembo pleaded guilty to four counts of theft when he appeared before Hwange magistrate Mrs Portia Mhlanga-Moyo.
He was lucky to be spared jail life after the magistrate suspended six months on condition of good behaviour.
The remaining six months were suspended on condition that Tembo completes 210 hours of community service at the Hwange magistrate's court.
Prosecuting, Mr Onias Nyathi said Tembo was invited for a beer drink by Mr Nyoni of G11C Lwendulu a fortnight ago.
Tembo then stole the card at Glow Service Station in Hwange where they had stopped to refuel.
"On 5 December at 11pm, the complainant hired a taxi and proceeded to Glow Petroleum for refuelling. He gave the fuel attendant an ATM card and furnished him with a PIN code so the vehicle could be refuelled," said the prosecutor.
Mr Nyathi said after fuelling, the attendant Mr Botha Maruvisi handed over the card and it was received by the accused, who hid it.
The court heard that the two drove to Truck Inn and Mr Nyoni demanded his ATM from Tembo who, however, denied ever taking it from the attendant.
Mr Nyoni went back to the fuel attendant who confirmed that he had given the ATM card to Tembo.
The court was told that the following day, Tembo, who had memorised the PIN code, went on a shopping spree at OK Supermarket where he bought groceries worth $93 using the card.
During the same day, he swiped for fuel and packets of cigarettes with a combined value of $49.
Tembo was arrested after investigations by the police.
Source - Chronicle
