By Esther Chisola
Lusaka Magistrate Mutinta Mwenya has sentenced a 19-year-old Booth teller to one year six months’ simple imprisonment for theft by servant involving over K70,000.
Dyness Banda who was facing one count of theft by servant admitted the offence explaining to the court that she initially had a shortage of K20, 000 and did not inform her employer about the development.
Banda told the court that she then got part of her employer’s money amounting to K50,000 and opened a 1xBet account so that she could win and recover the missing K20, 000.
She submitted that she invested a total of K57,000 in 1xbet hoping to recover the missing K20,000 but lost the bet.
Facts read that Banda called her boss informing her that she had a shortage and had invested money in 1xbet so that she could recover and double the amount, but her employer wasn’t satisfied with her explanation and how the shortage of K77,000 incurred.
Banda said she understood the facts read in court adding that the facts were true and correct.
The court found her guilty and convicted her accordingly.
In mitigation, Banda pleaded for leniency and time from the court to enable her work towards repaying the money she lost.
She said she had learnt that when one was in trouble it was better to tell the employer, unlike trying to resolve matters using the wrong means.
“You have admitted the charge, and you are a first offender but theft among booth operators has become rampant out there, and in order to deter the would-be offenders, I will sentence you to one-year and six months simple imprisonment,” magistrate Mwenya ruled.
