A Kenyan woman was last week charged at the Harare Magistrates Court in Zimbabwe for allegedly stealing funds from the Zimbabwe Manpower Development Fund (Zimdef).
Primrose Njeri Mwangi, 40, allegedly hacked Zimdef systems and fraudulently transferred $120 million (approx.Ksh14 billion) from its bank accounts, Zimbabwean news outlet Herald reports.
Primrose is accused together with her accomplices of using Zimdef’s authorisation codes to transfer the funds into their accounts between December 1 and December 29 of last year.
The accused, who is the director of Primkett Travels and Mafkett Trading, reportedly conspired with Gerald Pondai, Prosper Hove, and some other members of their syndicate to gain access to the computer data systems of Zimdef.
Reports indicate that out of the Ksh 14.8 billion, only Ksh 3.7 million has been recovered so far after the national Building Society reversed one of the transactions.
The scheme came to light on December 28 when the complainant(Zimdef) received an email alerting them of the transactions.
In addition to fraud charges, Primrose is facing charges of violating the terms of her visitor’s entry certificate, which only allowed her to stay in the country as a tourist for one month between December 14 and January 14.
Primrose was denied bail as investigations continue.
Authorities in Zimbabwe have since launched a manhunt for her alleged accomplices; Gerald Pondai and Prosper Hove.
