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Yeukai Karengezeka
Court Correspondent

A Harare City Council cleaner who stole US$6 400 from a safe that was in an office where she was cleaning has been sentenced to 490 hours of community service.

Mirriam John (32) was convicted of theft and money laundering by Harare magistrate Ms Yeukai Dzuda.

Ms Dzuda initially sentenced her to 32 months imprisonment with six months suspended conditionally.

Of the 26 months, 12 were suspended on condition that she restitutes the complainant the full amount by 14 November.

The remaining 14 months were suspended on condition that John performs 490 hours of community service at Caledonia Clinic.

John’s accomplice, Mercy January (41) was acquitted after being found not guilty.

The looted office belonged to Sithokozile Murimbechi (56) who is employed by Harare City Council as a personal assistant to the town clerk.

It was the State’s case that on June 10 between 9.30am and 10.30am, John was cleaning toilets while January was cleaning offices at Town House. John finished her work earlier and went to interact with her colleague in Ms Murimbechi’s office where she was cleaning.

John then got access to the Chubb key for the safe in that office and they stole US$6460 cash belonging to Ms Murimbechi.

Investigations were carried out by detectives which led to the arrest of the two and police were able to recover US$310 and property that had been bought by John. The value recovered is US$1890.

In an effort to disguise the illicit origin of the stolen money, John bought a two-piece wardrobe, a set of sofas, a 40-inch television, a fridge, a stove, and clothes among other things.