2 000 dressed chickens 'stolen' from Chicken Inn

AT least 2 000 dressed chickens reportedly went missing last week from Chicken Inn's Bulawayo holding depot with officials suspecting that this could be an inside job.

Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Precious Simango confirmed that the company reported the matter to the police but no arrests have been made.

"For now I can confirm that we are handling a case of unlawful entry and theft at the Cold Storage Company (CSC) depot where the theft of these chickens occurred, investigations are still in progress and no arrests have yet been made," said Insp Simango.

Chicken Inn which is owned by listed concern Simbisa Brands is reportedly renting a storage facility at the CSC headquarters in the city, where the theft was discovered by a team that was carrying out a stock taking exercise.

However, contacted for comment, Simbisa Brands managing director Mr Warren Meares downplayed the theft claiming it was just an issue of stocks not being recorded.

"That is a stocks matter, maybe someone did not properly record the stocks, thus I don't see why it is now a matter of interest to the Sunday News," said Mr Meares.

Sources close to the investigations revealed that there was a strong suspicion that the issue was an internal matter since there were no signs of a break-in at the depot.

They revealed that this was the second time such a theft had occurred at the depot with no action taken to investigate and bring the culprits to book.