A BULAWAYO woman heaved a sigh of relief after she was
acquitted of charges of stealing US$5 000 that was being kept under a mattress
from her sister.
It had been alleged that Caroline Gono (22) from Cowdray
Park suburb ransacked Ms Lister Gono’s bedroom and stole the cash.
Caroline initially asked her sister to give her the money
saying there was a deal she wanted to do that would “multiply” the cash. She
pleaded not guilty to a theft charge before Western Commonage magistrate Ms
Tancy Dube.
The magistrate said the State failed to prove that Caroline
stole from Ms Gono as witnesses gave contradicting testimonies.
“The court considered evidence that was presented and it’s
clear that Caroline didn’t commit the alleged offence. She’s therefore
acquitted and discharged,” said Ms Dube.
Caroline said she took her sister’s money because she
wanted to use it in a deal that would have yielded more money in six weeks.
“I do not admit to the charges levelled against me, I
wanted to spin it and get $10 000 after six weeks but the deal didn’t go well.
I didn’t steal her money, I actually borrowed it,” she said.
Prosecuting, Mr Tapiwa Solani said on September 2 this
year, Caroline allegedly hatched a plan to steal from her sister.
“The accused person took US$5 000 which was under the
complainant’s mattress after she refused to give it to her,” he said.
Mr Solani said Ms Gono realised that her money was missing
and confronted her younger sister who admitted that she had taken the money. She told her that she would return it after six weeks but
failed.
Mr Solani said Ms Gono only reported the matter to the
police after Caroline failed to return the money as promised. Ms Gono said on
the day she stole the US$5 000, her sister did not sleep at home.
“I called my sister and asked her where my money was and
she told me that she was changing money in town. I kept on waiting thinking
that she would return my money but up to now she has failed,” she said.
“When my husband asked her, she told him a different story.
She said she gave the money to a woman called Mai Chipo who is an illegal
foreign currency dealer in town.”
Nothing was recovered. Chronicle
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