Two years in the slammer for BMC theft
Sharon Mathala | Tuesday November 15, 2022 06:00
The six, Kabo Mereyabo, Abel Gaolatlhwe, Trainos Machokocha, Joseph Kesenye, Edwin Tumisang Kgannyetsile, and Boago Phuti, all pleaded guilty to stealing meat packages from the BMC. Their charge sheet reads in part that on October 26 at the BMC plant in Lobatse, acting jointly with a common purpose without claim of right, they stole four boxes of fillet meat, one box of the stripling, one box of pet food, and one box of rib-eye all to the total value of P21,311.16 being the property of BMC.
Giving sentence this week, the Lobatse Magistrate, Gofaone Morweng stated that the court took into account that Gaolatlhwe and Kesenye were both employees of BMC who ought to have been charged with an enhanced provision of the Penal Code other than theft simpliciter since they took from their employer.
The Magistrate further stated that when giving the sentence it put into account that Machokocha was not an employee of BMC nor part of the security posted at BMC, as a role player in the well-crafted theft. It was on the court record that his car, however, was used as a getaway vehicle in the theft. “Accused 5 (Kgannyetsile) and six (Phuti) were employees of Security Systems. It is the court's view that a contract of service entered into by BMC and Security Systems was based on trust and importantly that BMC properties were to be secured at all material times. The theft of property by Security System employees had breached the trust created between the two. It is trite that the courts must shy away from sentencing first offenders to custodial terms but in this case, the court had no option but to depart from the position as it is clear that the accused persons were organised and had carefully planned the theft of the said boxes from the BMC storage,” Morweng said.