Curated by AllZimNews. com
Danisa MasukuTHE operations manager of a local security company has been dragged to court after allegedly summoning his female subordinate to his office only to sneak up and grope her backside.
The alleged groper, Christian Thomas (61), is accused of preying on the 31-year-old security guard while she was on duty at Tacktop Security Company, located in Bulawayo.
It is alleged that on 5 June this year, Thomas phoned the woman and instructed her to go and open the windows in his office.
The unsuspecting guard quickly went to carry out the order.
While she was inside, focused on opening the windows, Thomas is said to have suddenly appeared from behind.
Without saying much, he allegedly went straight to her and fondled her bums in a way that left her shocked and uncomfortable.
Numb with disbelief from her boss’s “disgusting touchy feeliness,” the woman pushed him away.
She reportedly returned to where she had been stationed guarding the premises as if nothing had happened.
She reported the matter to the police, six days after the incident.
When the case was heard in court before Bulawayo magistrate Itai Kagwere on Wednesday, Thomas was represented by his lawyer Task Vhiki of Task Vhiki Attorneys.
Thomas pleaded not guilty to indecent sexual assault.
Through his lawyer, Thomas insisted that he had never slapped or grabbed his subordinate’s bums.
Vhiki claimed that the complainant became upset after she was informed that she would be transferred to Gwanda.
According to the defence, the woman then absconded from work.
On 9 June, Thomas called her to ask when she would be returning to duty, but she allegedly told him that she was unwilling to be deployed to Gwanda and that she was coming to the offices to surrender the company uniforms.
Vhiki argued that she only reported the matter later, as a way of fixing Thomas for trying to deploy her to Gwanda.
The victim took the stand and told the court that she knew Thomas as her Operations manager.
She said on the day in question, he found her seated at her workstation and instructed her to go and open windows in his office.
While she was busy in his office, he entered and slapped her bums.
She went out and immediately reported the matter to her immediate superior, Inspector Abigirl Nezera.
The victim further told the court that the incident left her terrified.
She said this was made worse by the fact that Thomas had a habit of asking for a kiss and a hug.
She also told the court that she refused to go to Gwanda because Thomas had told her that siyabe sitshontshisa khonangale, meaning “we will have an illicit affair. ”She said the entire situation left her shocked because she viewed Thomas as a father figure.
She added that after she refused to go to Gwanda, he told her that her contract had been terminated.
The matter continues in court.
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