Hwange Electricity Supply Company was defrauded of ZWL$2 billion by two men who allegedly hacked the company’s account and diverted money to their personal account.
This emerged in court yesterday when Fungisai Ngorima (59) and Trust Shone (39) appeared before Harare magistrate Donald Ndiroweyi facing a fraud charge.
They were granted US$300 bail each and remanded to January 29 pending finalisation of investigations.
The complainant is Hwange Electricity Supply Company represented by its finance and administration manager Wellington Muchabaiwa.
Prosecutor Lancelot Mutsokoti alleged that sometime in 2018, the power company embarked on a power generation project on land under the jurisdiction of Hwange Rural District Council .
The company was advised by council to pay a development levy of US$375 820,07 or its equivalent in local currency.
On November 2 2023, the company communicated with Hwange RDC through email that the money was going to be transferred using a ZB Bank account number.
It is alleged that it was during the same period that the duo hacked the communication and changed the email address.
It sent an email to the company requesting details of the bank which the company was using for payments.
Acting on this misrepresentation, the company advised the duo that it would pay in local currency through a ZB Bank account.
The duo then advised the company that Hwange RDC had revised its banking details and that they were now using Stanbic to receive the payment.
On November 7 2023, the company transferred ZWL$2 149 806 026,83 to the said Stanbic Bank account.
The following day, Alic Mudenda from the Hwange RDC contacted the complainant making a follow-up on the payment.
The complainant became suspicious and immediately contacted the bank requesting reversal of payment.
The complainant then made a report to the police, leading to the arrest of the duo.
The money was recovered.
