A POSB accounts officer Mercy Meda and police assistant
inspector Tawanda Martin Mavhiya together with another man John Nyika, who are
facing charges of attempting to defraud the bank of $158 million after
tampering with the banking system were yesterday freed on $5 000 bail each.
Harare magistrate Ms Barbra Mateko ordered the trio to
report twice a week at the nearest police station as part of their bail
conditions.
The trio, who were represented by lawyers Paida Saurombe
and Obey Shava are being charged with fraud with an alternative charge of
unauthorised access to or use of a computer or network.
In her bail ruling, Ms Mateko said the State failed to give
compelling reasons on why the trio’s freedom should be taken away pending
trial.
Magistrate Mateko noted that the trio were of fixed abode
and the request for bail was reasonable.
The State led by Mr Lancelot Mutsokoti had on Wednesday
opposed granting of bail for the trio saying they were flight risk.
Mr Mutsokoti told the court that there was overwhelming
evidence against them in the form of receipts of items purchased from proceeds
of crime and cellphones used in the commissioning of the alleged crime.
Meda, through her lawyer Saurombe, told the court that she
was not linked to her co-accused.
Saurombe said she was sleeping at home at the time the
alleged offence was committed. Mavhiya and Nyika, through their lawyer Shava,
told the court that they were not flight risk.
Mavhiya said he was about to resign from the police service
after serving 19 years. He said he cannot afford to lose his pension and
benefits by running away from a weak case.
Circumstances leading to the trio’s arrest are that they
connived with four others who are still at large to defraud POSB.
In pursuant to their plan, on June 13, 2020 Meda allegedly
made a $32million deposit into Mavhiya’’s bank account.
On the following day, Mavhiya and Nyika went to TM
Supermarket in Borrowdale, OK Supermarket in Harare’’s city centre and Spar Sam
Levy where they purchased groceries worth $6 768.
Meda is also alleged to have deposited $30 000 into Audrey
Nhokwara, Harzel Makarawu, Tanaka Trevor Muradzi and Chipo Fifteen’s bank
accounts.
On June 15, the POSB international banking manager Caroline
Mugonera reconciled transactions that were made on June 13 on the general
ledger account.
The court heard that Magonera noticed some transactions
with high values which had irregular sources.
Magonera is said to have notified the POSB Bank authorities
who then managed to reverse $156 690 000 from five accounts.
On the same day, Mavhiya and Nyika were arrested leading to
the recovery of groceries worth $4 264.68.
The three are expected back in court on July 30, 2020. Herald
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