HARARE - A Harare magistrate has granted $500 bail to an ex-BancABC international banking officer facing a $1 million fraud charge.
Nhamoinesu Francis, 32, of 2032 Mainway Meadows, Waterfalls is answering to $1 006 088 fraud charge.
Magistrate Donald Ndirowei considered that one of Nhamoinesu’s accomplices Andrea Jenkins had been granted bail by the same court. Jerkins was a personal assistant with EarthClean Trading (Pvt) limited, a registered company in the business of commodity broking and gold trading.
“It is this court’s finding that there are changed circumstances in this case,” Ndirowei said. “Accused person’s co-accused was granted bail over the same charges. Accomplices must be treated the same when it comes to liberty.
“Therefore accused is ordered to deposit $500 bail, report once a week at CID Serious Frauds and not interfere with witnesses.”
Nhamoinesu’s duties included management of bank accounts and facilitating international transfers. The complainant is Taira Services Limited — a Cyprus-based company that trades in gold.
Prosecutor Sharon Mashavira alleged that on August 23 last year, Jenkins connived with Muneer and Raziya Kazi, who are still at large, and Francis Nhamoinesu, who has already appeared in court over the same charge, to defraud Taira Services.
It is the State’s case that on November 16, 2012, a memorandum of sale and purchase of gold was entered into by the respective parties.
Terms of the agreement were that Earthclean would sell and deliver gold on behalf of Taira Services to DZ Trading in Dubai.
On August 23 last year, Muneer and Raziya received $1 006 088 from Earthclean meant for gold purchases. The money was transferred from DZ Trading.
After receiving the payment, the accused person failed to supply the gold to Taira Services and allegedly converted the money to their own use.
In an alleged effort to deceive the complainant, Muneer and Raziya engaged Nhamoinesu to raise fraudulent bank transfers with false swift code details which were purporting that the money in question had been transferred back into Taira Services’ bank account.
Jenkins allegedly wanted it to appear as if she had instructed BancABC to transfer the money to Taira Services Limited’s bank account.
She then took the forged documents to BancABC where they were date stamped by Nhamoinesu.
The forged documents were allegedly given to Taira Services Limited, reassuring them that their money was successfully transferred back.
Nhamoinesu further supplied the forged documents to the complainant who later verified them with BancABC and discovered that they had been forged.
The matter was reported to the police, leading to Nhamoinesu’s arrest.