News / National
Pregnancy saves thieving school clerk jail life
17 Feb 2014 at 07:22hrs | Views
A SCHOOL clerk who swindled a school of $13,660 has avoided jail - because she is pregnant.
Employed at Ndarama High School, Pensive Masocha, 27, of Mucheke would receive money from parents and tamper with the figures on the receipts and pocket some of the cash, Masvingo magistrate Timeon Makunde heard.
Prosecuting, Shamiso Masokovere said between May 10, 2011 and July 2013, Masocha would receive money from parents and record the correct figure on the original copy.
She would then put a lower figure on the duplicate copy for the school, pocketing the difference. An external audit report unearthed the rot, which subsequently led to the discovery of the fraud.
A report was made to the police leading to Masocha's arrest. She pleaded not guilty but Makunde convicted her of fraud due to overwhelming evidence.
He sentenced Masocha to 40 months in jail of which 10 months were suspended on condition of good behaviour. Another 16 months were further suspended on condition she restitutes the stolen money on or before December 31, 2014.
The remaining 14 months were commuted to 490 hours of community service at Runyararo Clinic. The magistrate ruled: "Looking at the crime and amount involved in this case, you deserved a custodial sentence. However, the court has put your condition into consideration and preferred a non-custodial sentence of 490 hours of community service. Sending you to jail when you are heavily pregnant and expecting to deliver soon would be tantamount to punishing an innocent unborn baby," he said.
In mitigation Masocha said: "There are a number of people who could have tampered with the figures on the receipts. The head of the school and the bursar have direct access to the documents and they could have as well altered the figures."
Employed at Ndarama High School, Pensive Masocha, 27, of Mucheke would receive money from parents and tamper with the figures on the receipts and pocket some of the cash, Masvingo magistrate Timeon Makunde heard.
Prosecuting, Shamiso Masokovere said between May 10, 2011 and July 2013, Masocha would receive money from parents and record the correct figure on the original copy.
She would then put a lower figure on the duplicate copy for the school, pocketing the difference. An external audit report unearthed the rot, which subsequently led to the discovery of the fraud.
A report was made to the police leading to Masocha's arrest. She pleaded not guilty but Makunde convicted her of fraud due to overwhelming evidence.
He sentenced Masocha to 40 months in jail of which 10 months were suspended on condition of good behaviour. Another 16 months were further suspended on condition she restitutes the stolen money on or before December 31, 2014.
The remaining 14 months were commuted to 490 hours of community service at Runyararo Clinic. The magistrate ruled: "Looking at the crime and amount involved in this case, you deserved a custodial sentence. However, the court has put your condition into consideration and preferred a non-custodial sentence of 490 hours of community service. Sending you to jail when you are heavily pregnant and expecting to deliver soon would be tantamount to punishing an innocent unborn baby," he said.
In mitigation Masocha said: "There are a number of people who could have tampered with the figures on the receipts. The head of the school and the bursar have direct access to the documents and they could have as well altered the figures."
Source - Chronicle
