Source: TM fraud: Another suspect nabbed – DailyNews
Blessing Masakadza
SENIOR STAFF WRITER
ANOTHER suspected fraudster appeared in court yesterday accused of being part of the elaborate scheme that saw TM Supermarkets losing $22 million in a forgery scam.
Moses January was not asked to plead to allegations of fraud when he appeared before Harare magistrate Denis Mangosa and was remanded in custody to today for bail ruling.
Last week, two other people, Tonderai Chagweda and Tatenda Jombe, were granted $50 000 bail each in the same matter.
Yesterday, the State opposed January’s admission to bail arguing that he was facing a serious offence and that there was a likelihood he would interfere with investigations if released.
Through his lawyer Lucky Mawuwa, January argued that his co-accused had been granted bail by the court and there was no reason to discriminate against him.
He also argued that there was nothing linking him to the offence and that he had surrendered himself to the police.
It is alleged that on January 28 this year, the aptly named January connived with Ronald Mudzingwa, Chagweda and Jombe and misrepresented themselves to be senior TM executives — Raymond Matsetswa and Gamuchirai Nyamuzinga — the finance manager and chief finance officer respectively.
They allegedly sent an email to Steward Bank with forms with forged signatures instructing the bank to process and debit TM Supermarket’s account to four different transactions amounting to $22 million.
Reports are that the transactions were authorised and processed to four companies.
The court heard that the offence came to light when TM Supermarket disputed some of the transactions in their account.
Investigations reportedly showed that the email used to send instruction forms was different from the one the TM finance manager uses, resulting in a police report being made.
This resulted in the arrest of Chagweda and Jombe.
January was arrested after he surrendered himself to the police after reading about the matter in the press.
Prosecutor Lancelot Mutsokoti is appearing for the State.
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