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A visiting tourist and Kenyan National, 40 year old Primrose Nyeri Mwangi, is facing separate charges of siphoning millions from Zimbabwe Manpower Development Zimdef and secondly of violating conditions of her visitor’s entry certificate, which gave her just one month as a tourist between December 14 and January 14.
Mwangi is alleged to have violated the conditions of the tourist visa during her brief stay in Zimbabwe by engaging in employment or by conducting business as the director for Primkett Travel and Tours and Mafkett Trading.
The Kenyan national hacked into Zimdef database, syphoning $20million dollars with a team of hackers that electronically stole a total of $120m From Zimdef Bank Account with only 30 000 recovered so far, a local Harare court heard yesterday.
Zimbabwe Manpower Development Fund (Zimdef) accounts were indeed siphoned of $120 million after a syndicate of hackers gained access to the organisation’s computer systems under the leadership of the Kenyan Tourist.
The hackers ordered banks to transfer large sums of money to their own accounts, using Zimdef authorization codes.
Appearing for the State, Zvikomborero Mupasa alleged that, “Between December 1 and 29 last year, Mwangi teamed up with Gerald Pondai, Prosper Hove and some members of their syndicate to access the Zimdef computer data systems and through that got access to the ZB Bank and CBZ accounts of Zimdef.
It is said that, “Mwangi and the syndicate then transferred $20 million through the standard Zimswitch system, using Zimdef authority codes, into the Steward Bank account of Maffikett Trading.
The court heard that they also, “Transferred other sums into Atrier Engineering CBZ account, Newplaces (Pvt) Limited NBS account and Tavaka Holding NBS account.
The State alleges that, “Mwangi then used the money transferred into her company’s account to purchase bulk cooking oil.
According to the State, the offence came to light when, “Zimdef was alerted through an email by a whistle-blower on December 28 detailing how the accounts had been hacked through its internal systems.
“It is said that bank statements revealed that $120 million was stolen from Zimdef ZB Bank account and CBZ Bank with $30 000 recovered through a reversed transaction by NBS bank.
Swift Investigations led to the arrest of Kenyan tourist Primrose Nyeri Mwangi, who runs Maffkett Private Limited Company and Primkett Travel, which were operating at Joina City in Harare.
The Kenyan was yesterday taken to the Harare Magistrates Court charged with fraud and violating the conditions of her tourist visa.
Mwangi was not asked to plead to the charges when she appeared before Harare regional magistrate Mr Stanford Mambanje, who remanded her in custody to today for her bail application.
She was represented by lawyer Mr Farai Nyamayaro when she appeared yesterday at the Harare Magistrates Court charged with hacking the Zimbabwe Manpower Development Fund (Zimdef) systems and syphoning $20 million from its bank account.
He is also the director of Primkett Travels, as mentioned another violation of her Visa which does not require her to be engaged in employment.
Zimdef is the complainant in this case alleging the trio specifically used the Zeepay ZimSwitch system to still from the Manpower Development fund.
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