Harlesden Post Office boss jailed for stealing from Willesden and Swiss Cottage branches

Former manager sentenced to 21 months for swiping almost �50,000

A Post Office boss who stole nearly �50,000 from his bosses has been jailed for 21 months.

Blackfriars Crown Court heard Sunday Kisangara, 51, of Hawkins Road, Harlesden, got away with dipping into the safe to take �21,500 from a branch in Willesden.

When he moved to another office in Swiss Cottage, he swiped another �25,000.

He tried to cover his tracks by creating bogus transactions to make the movement of cash look like an error or someone else was committing the crime.

Judge Henry Blacksell QC told him he had twice abused the trust placed in him as a senior member of staff and added: “A custodial sentence of some length is the appropriate sentence in this case.”

Kisangara denied stealing the money between July 2006 and August 2008, and August 2008 and October 2009, but was found guilty after a trial last month

Dianne Chan, prosecuting, said: “At these two post offices he has held the position of branch manager.

“He moved from the Willesden branch to Swiss Cottage in July 2006. On 7 October 2009 an audit was carried out at Swiss Cottage.

“The discrepancy was found - some �25,000 was missing.”

Kisangara claimed the pouch-full of money had been collected on October 5 and taken elsewhere within the business.

But when investigators carried out a check on his history it flagged up two previous discrepancies under his watch at Willesden.

At that time bosses could not establish what had happened and the ‘money was written off’, said Ms Chan.

Kisangara denied three counts of theft totalling �56,500 and he was found guilty of the second two charges equalling �46,500.