By Own Correspondent 

The Harare Magistrate’s Court has ordered Lobels (Private) Limited to pay damages to a former employee after he was wrongful arrested on theft allegations.

Magistrate Sharon Mashavira awarded Hardlife Chauke US$14 000 after she ruled that Lobels had maliciously prosecuted him.

Facts of the matter are that, in October 2022, Lobels laid false charges against Chauke alleging he had stolen US$35 423,27 from the company. This resulted in Chauke’s arrest, detention and prosecution for theft of trust property at the Mbare Magistrates Court in October 2022.

The court heard that sometime in October 2022, Lobels, represented by Nyasha Nyakurera, laid false charges to the effect that Chauke had collected US$35 423,27 from customers and banked US$2 184,00 before converting US$33 751,27 to his own use.

However, after a lengthy trial he was acquitted in October 2023 after the State failed to prove its case.

Following the discharge, Chauke issued summons against Lobels claiming US$40 000 being damages for malicious arrest, detention and prosecution, loss of business due to malicious prosecution and legal costs incurred as a result of the malicious prosecution.

He claimed a sum of US$25 000 being general damages for malicious prosecution, US$10 000 being legal costs incurred as a result of malicious prosecution and US$5 000 for loss of business due to malicious prosecution.

In her ruling, magistrate Mashavira ordered Lobels to pay US$14 000 to Chauke, comprising US$4 000 for malicious prosecution and US$10 000 for legal fees. The court dismissed Chauke’s additional claim of US$5 000 due to lack of merit.

Lobels was also directed to pay interest on the awarded amount from the date of summons issuance until full payment, alongside ordinary court costs.