Accused claims framed up in USD50, 000 theft case

Dar es Salaam`s Kisutu Resident Magistrate Court was informed that the
USD 50,000 theft case involving former employee of 2000 Bureau de
Change was framed by his superiors after he resigned from his post and
thus managed to attract most of his old clients to his new place.

By Rosemary Mirondo

Dar es Salaam`s Kisutu Resident Magistrate Court was informed that the USD 50,000 theft case involving former employee of 2000 Bureau de Change was framed by his superiors after he resigned from his post and thus managed to attract most of his old clients to his new place.

In his testimony last Friday before Kisutu Principal Resident Magistrate Sivangilwa Mwangesi, Aliasgar Kadibhai (26) told the court that the bureau management was angered by his untimely resignation which was later followed by the closure of many accounts by the bureau customers.
As a result, they framed up a criminal case involving theft of USD50, 000 against him.

Kadibhai told the court that he was employed as a manager by the Bureau in 2000 but resigned the following year on his own volition in order to set up his own business.

“Your Honour, I resigned on my own volition but was surprised to be arrested by the police on November 24, 2004 and taken to the Central Police Station for theft of USD50,000, the property of my former employer,“ he said.

He said the fact that the bureau management instituted the case in 2004 when he resigned in 2001 is a clear manifestation that the management had in fact framed up the case against him.

Kadibhai told the court that upon his resignation almost every client of the shop abandoned the Bureau, making him feel and think that perhaps his former employer was not happy with his resignation.

The accused testified further that he had worked in other financial institutions including Exim Bank, but had never been arrested for theft.

He said the prosecution had failed to establish its case as they had never brought any incriminating evidence in court against him.

In fact, he said, at the time he was working with the Bureau, the internal control system provided for tight procedures that would never allow anyone to steal without detection.

There were sales receipt books which were entered for both sales and expenditure and were balanced every day at the end of the business, he told the court.

It was alleged that on February 9, 2004 at the 2000 Bureau de Change along Jamhuri Street, the accused stole USD50, 000, the property of the bureau.
The case was adjourned to May 29, this year for judgment.

Source: Guardian