TANZANIA: Singida security guard jailed for theft

Written by ABBY NKUNGU in Singida 

THE Utemini Primary Court in Singida town has sentenced Jumanne Juma, 47, a night watchman, to three years imprisonment on his own plea of guilty to three counts of theft.

Juma, who is a resident of Utemini area in Singida town is alleged to have committed the offences, including breaking into a business stall and stealing various items and property, belonging to his employer, Hosea Mkunde, a magistrate at Ipembe Primary Court in Singida Municipality.

The accused is alleged to have committed the offence at Utemini area on November 03, this year, at around 11p.m. at night. In the first and second counts, the court was told that on the material day the accused broke into the business stall, in which he was employed to take care of, and stole a weighing scale and a number of recharge vouchers all worth 500,000/.

In the third count, he was alleged to have neglected and unreasonably failed to prevent an offence to occur contrary to the law. Shortly after the charge sheet was read to the accused, he pleaded guilty to the offence but asked the presiding magistrate Ferdinand Njau to be lenient to him as he was a straight forward man who did not waste the court’s time.

“My Lordship, I am sincerely asking your honourable court to be lenient to me because I did not waste its timeÉ I have been straight forward and open by telling the truth. I am also ready to pay back the 500,000/- in compensation for the items stolen,” the accused pleaded with the court.

After hearing the plea of the accused, Magistrate Njau told him that one of the roles of the court is to reform bad conducts and misbehaviour willfully caused by some unfaithful members of the public.

“I therefore sentence you to jail for three years for the first count, 12 months for the second count and six months for the third count. However, you will serve only three years in prison as the sentences run concurrently,” Mr Njau concluded.

Source: Daily News (26/11/2012): http://dailynews.co.tz/index.php/local-news/12022-singida-security-guard-jailed-for-theft