Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. THE trial of four fraud suspects who allegedly hacked a Grain Marketing Board (GMB) account and attempted to divert US$1,2m to their accounts commenced last week, with the State leading its first witness.
Dennis Nhapata (40), Challenge Phiri (40), Joshua Israel and Ogbonna Simeon (54) appeared before Harare magistrate Francis Mapfumo for trial commencement on a charge of attempting to defraud the parastatal.
The State called the first witness, Misheck Mupondiwa, a GMB integrity officer.
During questioning, Mupondiwa said he knew the four accused persons only in connection with the case after they allegedly hacked the CBZ bank account and instructed a bank transfer of US$1,2 million to a Success Bank account.
The witness testified that bank officials informed him that the owner of the investment treasury account was Brian Mabuto.
Mupondiwa said he went to Success Microfinance Bank and was told by officials that there was US$150 000 which had been transferred to the suspect’s account from an AFC account belonging to Mabuto.
The witness said the transaction was unlawful, stating that he was surprised since he had not authorised it.
“The bank officials further advised us that the transfers of the two transactions were being managed by Mabuto, who approached the bank saying he had his money that needed to be transferred to the bank so that he could collect it,” Mupondiwa told the court.
State prosecutor, Heather Muwokoto, told the court that on September 9 last year at CBZ Bank Selous branch, Harare, the accused hacked the email address of Parrence Chikerema, who is employed as an accountant by GMB.
The court heard that the syndicate used the email address to send an application for Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) to CBZ Bank, Selous Branch, Harare, misrepresenting to CBZ Bank that GMB was being represented by Misheck Mupondiwa.
Muwokoto further alleged that the fraud suspects instructed the transfer of US$1,2 million from the CBZ account to the Success Microfinance Bank account with the intent to defraud the grain parastatal.
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