HARARE - A trainee customer service officer with FBC Bank reportedly connived with a bank teller and swindled the Mines ministry of more than $500 000.
Nicola Gweshe, 28, who is based at FBC Mutare, and Dionne Kwezani, 27, a bank teller at the bank’s Harare branch, appeared before Harare magistrate Vakayi Chikwekwe facing fraud charges.
They were both remanded to February 24 on $200 bail each.
Part of the bail conditions ordered Gweshe and Kwezani to reside at their given addresses and report twice every week at CID Serious Fraud Squad.
Prosecutor Sharon Mashavira alleged that Gweshe, whose duties included verifying information on opening bank accounts, connived with Kwezani and other accomplices who are still at large, and hatched a plan to defraud their employer.
During the period extending from August 15 last year and January 16 this year, they reportedly defrauded FBC through fraudulent transfers of funds from the ministry of Mines’ FBC bank account.
Pursuant to their plan, Gweshe facilitated the opening of a bank account in the name of ZMDC (Pvt) Ltd and imitated the parastatal ZMDC Management Services Ltd using fraudulent documents.
Kwezani also facilitated opening another bank account in the name of Bryte Course Investments using forged documents.
On January 14 this year, one of the accomplices raised five fraudulent daily internal payment instructions purporting as though the Mines ministry had authorised transfer of $366 385,40 into the fraudulently-opened bank accounts for companies styled Bryte Course,Chikuti Gold Mine and ZMDC (Pvt) Ltd.
A total of $104 200 was deposited into the ZMDC bank account before Gweshe emailed her managers and bank tellers requesting the release of all the funds.
Kwezani then facilitated the withdrawal of a total of $526 770 and nothing was recovered.