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Yeukai Karengezeka Court Correspondent

FOR  allegedly defrauding  the Zimbabwe Manpower Development Fund (ZIMDEF) of cash amounting to $120 000 000 in 2022 after hacking its computer system, a man appeared in court yesterday.

Amos Chisvo (43) appeared before Harare magistrate Taurai Manuwere facing two counts of fraud and money laundering and was remanded in custody to April 24 for bail application.

The complainant is ZIMDEF, represented by its Finance and Administration Manager, Innocent Ganya.

Prosecutor Mr Lancelot Mutsokoti alleged that from December 1, 2022 to December 29, 2022, Chisvo, acting in connivance with other six accomplices who have already been arrested, hacked into the ZIMDEF computer system and accessed the organisation’s bank accounts at ZB Bank.

After accessing the banking details, Chisvo allegedly used the Zeepay Zimswitch System and transferred $50 million  into Atrier Engineering’s CBZ Bank account number 01125688530010, belonging to his accomplices.

Mr Mutsokoti further alleged that Chisvo transferred of $20 million into Newplaces Pvt Limited’s NBS Bank account number 3213011161001, belonging to Primrose Nyeri Mwangi, which was fraudulently registered.

The court heard that Chisvo and his accomplices further transferred $30 million into Tavaka Holdings’ NBS Bank account number 3211101012013001, belonging to Tinashe Evans Kadzunge and Dzikamai Zvegona.

Having made the fraudulent transfers, the accused persons went on to liquidate the money into US currency on the black market.

They also bought goods from various individuals in exchange for United States Dollars.

The offence was discovered on December 28, 2022 when ZIMDEF received information from a whistle-blower through an email message.