News / National
Usiphatheleni spared jail for false robbery report
06 Apr 2018 at 07:27hrs | Views
A BULAWAYO illegal money changer who owed her colleagues more than $30 000 and falsely reported to the police that she had been robbed at gun point to cover up for her failure to meet the debt repayment deadline was yesterday warned, cautioned and discharged.
Edinah Mkwishu (34) of Pumula South was convicted on her own plea of guilty to supplying false information to the police by Bulawayo magistrate, Mr Tinashe Tashaya.
Mkwishu was arrested last Friday after she admitted that she made a false report since she had no money to pay her debts.
The magistrate warned Mkwishu against making false reports in future, saying she risked a jail term.
"You should count yourself lucky because the people that you owe did not make a police report, but instead you made a false report to cover up for failing to raise the money. Under normal circumstances you were supposed to be given a sentence equivalent to the amount you defrauded. You are therefore warned, cautioned and discharged," said Mr Tashaya.
Prosecuting, Mr Maclean Ndlovu said sometime in March this year, Mkwishu borrowed money from three different people on the understanding that she would pay it back on March 15.
The court heard that on March 16, the accused person hatched a plan and made a false report in order to cover up for the accrued debt.
She then went to Sauerstown Police Station where she reported that she had been robbed of US $4 500, $24 000 bond notes, R24 000 and her cellphone by robbers while coming from Ascot Shopping Centre.
Mkwishu reported that four unknown men who were driving a white Golf had pounced on her at the robots while she was coming from her client at Ascot Shopping Centre.
"She told the police that at the robots between Leopold Takawira Street and George Avenue, a white Golf stopped next to her and four men came out of the vehicle and pointed a gun at her. She said they ordered her to drive along Falls Road up to Masiyephambili Drive towards Ngozi Mine," said Mr Ndlovu.
Mkwishu said after robbing her, the gang deflated the tyres on her vehicle and left her at the dump site. Upon probing the matter, police discovered that the robots where the alleged robbery occurred were not working on that particular day.
Investigators also ascertained that she had not gone to Ascot Shopping Centre as she had claimed. Mkwishu's cell-phone was recovered from her friend whom she had given for safe keeping. Police then arrested her.
Edinah Mkwishu (34) of Pumula South was convicted on her own plea of guilty to supplying false information to the police by Bulawayo magistrate, Mr Tinashe Tashaya.
Mkwishu was arrested last Friday after she admitted that she made a false report since she had no money to pay her debts.
The magistrate warned Mkwishu against making false reports in future, saying she risked a jail term.
"You should count yourself lucky because the people that you owe did not make a police report, but instead you made a false report to cover up for failing to raise the money. Under normal circumstances you were supposed to be given a sentence equivalent to the amount you defrauded. You are therefore warned, cautioned and discharged," said Mr Tashaya.
Prosecuting, Mr Maclean Ndlovu said sometime in March this year, Mkwishu borrowed money from three different people on the understanding that she would pay it back on March 15.
She then went to Sauerstown Police Station where she reported that she had been robbed of US $4 500, $24 000 bond notes, R24 000 and her cellphone by robbers while coming from Ascot Shopping Centre.
Mkwishu reported that four unknown men who were driving a white Golf had pounced on her at the robots while she was coming from her client at Ascot Shopping Centre.
"She told the police that at the robots between Leopold Takawira Street and George Avenue, a white Golf stopped next to her and four men came out of the vehicle and pointed a gun at her. She said they ordered her to drive along Falls Road up to Masiyephambili Drive towards Ngozi Mine," said Mr Ndlovu.
Mkwishu said after robbing her, the gang deflated the tyres on her vehicle and left her at the dump site. Upon probing the matter, police discovered that the robots where the alleged robbery occurred were not working on that particular day.
Investigators also ascertained that she had not gone to Ascot Shopping Centre as she had claimed. Mkwishu's cell-phone was recovered from her friend whom she had given for safe keeping. Police then arrested her.
Source - chroncile
