A SOUTH AFRICA-BASED Zimbabwean woman was arrested in Triangle and arraigned before the Harare Magistrates’ Court facing fraud and money laundering charges involving US$322 000 and 650 000 rand.
Harare magistrate Donald Ndirowei remanded Grace Makozho (31) in custody to today for bail determination.
Makozho is facing another charge of supplying false information to the police.
The accused, who was employed as a clerk at Access Forex from July 2022, received calls on behalf of the company but sometime in April 2023, while working in South Africa, allegedly hatched a plan to defraud the complainant.
She allegedly created ghost remittance accounts within the complainant's system.
Makozho was working in the same office with Liniet Maphosa, who was responsible for receiving funds from clients for transfer.
It is alleged that after creating ghost accounts bearing non-existent remitters, Makozho used Maphosa’s credentials to log into the transfer system.
She then used the ghost accounts to transfer various amounts from Access Forex South Africa to 91 recipients in Zimbabwe.
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Among the recipients were her accomplices Dickson Gweshe and Shepherd Gweshe, who are still at large.
She allegedly instructed the recipients to withdraw the money from Access Forex tellers across Zimbabwe and hand it over to her.
Makozho allegedly drove from South Africa to collect the money and deposited it in her South African bank account.
To conceal the crime, Makozho allegedly used the money to acquire various properties.
The complainant reportedly discovered the offence after an audit.
On April 5 this year, detectives received information that Makozho was in her home area, Kada village, Chiredzi.
Detectives went to the village where Makozho was asked to identify herself and she allegedly lied to the police, identifying herself as Milicent Kwangwari.
Makozho was taken to ZRP Masvingo Rural, where it was discovered that she had lied to the police after a national identity card bearing her name was found in her handbag.
She later confessed that she had lied to the police.
