Court Reporter
A ZB Bank, Kwekwe Branch employee appeared in the Kwekwe Magistrates Court yesterday facing fraud charges.
Tatenda Albert Mudzingwa (31) is accused of allegedly orchestrating a fraud scheme that reportedly cost the bank US$38,265.
He is being charged under Section 136(a) of the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act, Chapter 09:23.
Mudzingwa was remanded to 3 May 2024, when he will be advised of his trial date.
He was granted bail set at US$200.
According to state papers, Mudzingwa between January 2023 and January 2024, along with Cosmas Bhudhe, a Customer Service Consultant at ZB Bank who is still at large, fraudulently applied for loans in the names of unsuspecting customers.
According to the prosecuting officer Nyasha Hloka, the scheme involved depositing approved loans into customers’ accounts and subsequently withdrawing the funds without their consent.
Mudzingwa, who served as a bank teller, is said to have accessed the funds using bank cards and withdrawal slips provided by Bhudhe. The fraudulent activities came to light when a bank client, Talent Makaka, noticed unauthorized loan deductions from his account.
“The total prejudiced amount stands at USD 38,265, and to date, nothing has been recovered,” stated Hloka in court. Hloka said that CCTV footage, reportedly shows Bhudhe collecting money from Mudzingwa and could be used as evidence during trial.
Bhudhe is said to be on the run.
