Austin Dube, a 61-year-old registrar from Chipinge, has been sentenced to a two-year prison term for the th3ft of funds totaling US$7,385.
The case emerged when the Provincial Registrar for Manicaland noticed discrepancies in financial records at Dube’s office on July 28, prompting an investigation.
The inquiry revealed that Dube could not account for a significant amount of money, specifically US$4,115, which he had collected from various sub-offices.
Subsequently, on August 28, he was handed registry collection fees amounting to US$6,793, along with a deposit slip, but failed to bank the money as required.
Three days later, Dube approached the accountant with a black plastic bag, claiming to have the cash for counting; however, the bag only contained US$3,523—far less than the amount he was supposed to have.
He demanded that the cashier write a new slip reflecting the original sum of US$6,793, while attempting to separate the unaccounted funds.
The cashier, suspicious of Dube’s actions, refused to comply and promptly reported the incident to the Provincial Registrar, who then involved the police.
Dube’s actions ultimately led to his arrest, and the investigation concluded with no recovery of the stolen funds.
