Innscor manager jailed for using office money at a betting shop

A Bakers’ Inn shift manager who stole money before gambling it away on a trending betting site, Aviator, has been slapped with a two-and-a-half-year jail term after his conviction for theft.

The 28-year-old manager, William Gonese, was initially sentenced to 30 months imprisonment before 12 months were suspended on condition of good behaviour, while another 10 months were suspended on condition he pay back his employer the stolen money.

He stole US$3 420 from his workplace in a single night shift to fund online betting on a platform called Aviator, hoping that by the end of the shift he would have won enough to repay the money, and also have enough profit to impress his new wife.

It is the state’s case that Gonese was entrusted with a float of US$3 420 to serve customers at a Bakers Inn outlet on Chinhoyi Street in Harare.

However, by the next day at around 3 am, Gonese called Simbisa Bakers Inn Audit Manager Mr Yusuf Bruce and confessed that he had lost US$470 in cash and US$2 950 in InnBucks deposits through online betting.

Upon receiving Gonese’s call, Mr Bruce conducted a reconciliation at the shop, which confirmed the full amount of US$3 420 had been misappropriated.