Woman in Court Over Alleged Theft of ZWL$86k

Munyaradzi Mashiri

Zim Now Court Correspondent

Tholakele Moyo ,50, has appeared before the Harare Magistrates' Courts charged with theft after allegedly diverting ZWL$86,064 meant for her employer, Diagnostic Heart Centre.

The court, presided over by prosecutor Rufaro Chonzi, heard that Moyo, along with two accomplices, Abigail Mwinjilo and Elizabeth Mutirwara, orchestrated the scheme between January 2020 and November 23, 2023.

The trio allegedly registered two Econet Ecocash accounts under the name of a representative from Diagnostic Heart Centre, without their knowledge. Payments made by patients for medical services were then funneled into these accounts and subsequently transferred to their personal Ecocash wallets.

Investigations revealed the funds were moved into Ecocash accounts registered under numbers linked to Moyo, Mwinjilo, and Mutirwara. Additionally, they allegedly falsified receipt books by tampering with carbon copies to suggest patients had made bank transfers when they had actually used Ecocash.

The scam was uncovered when a patient sought assistance with medical aid forms and presented a receipt that conflicted with the records at the surgery. The discovery prompted an internal review, and the matter was reported to the police.

Moyo was arrested after being lured to the police station. The complainant, Diagnostic Heart Centre, claims to have suffered a financial loss of ZWL$86 064 due to the alleged fraud.

Moyo is set to return to court on February 14, 2024. Investigations into the matter continue.