A syndicate made up of two Zimbabweans and five Batswana connived to defraud Standard Chartered Bank Botswana, First National Bank Botswana and Barclays Bank Botswana an amount close to P2 million.
The syndicate was led by a Zimbabwean Farai Philip Mangombe who is currently in police custody.
According to court documents the accused, Farai Philip Mangombe and one Waras Chivhima also a Zimbabwean on or around the 6th of June 2016 at Gaborone, in the Gaborone Administrative District of the Republic of Botswana, acted jointly with intent to defraud Standard Chartered Bank Botswana an amount of P 489, 200.50.
The two made a false document purporting it to be a cheque numbered 100598800267 drawn by Coram Mushata of Merchantile Legal and General Insurance Brokers in favour of Waras Chivhimaas the payee when in fact it was not; thereby inducing Standard Chartered Bank employees into believing that indeed it was a genuine cheque.
On or around 10th of June 2016 near Gaborone Mangombe and Chivhima on different occasions teamed again with a common purpose, fraudulently and without claim of right and with intent to permanently deprive Standard Chartered Bank therefore stole P58, 400.00 being the property of Standard Chartered Bank.
The accused Mangombe on or around 20th day of June teamed with one Keneilwe Mooketsi acting jointly with intent to defraud Barclays BANK Botswana, Mahalapye Branch, an amount of P98, 640. 00. The two made a false document purporting it to be a cheque numbered 3600 drawn by DBH (PTY) LTD in favour of Keneilwe Mooketsi as the payee when in fact she was not.
On the same date the two obtained P4, 998.00 from FNBB as an over-the counter encashment by falsely representing to the Bank staff through a fraudulent cheque No: 285267 purportedly drawn by SCELLA & SCELLA INCORPORATION (PTY) LTD in favour of Keneilwe Mooketsi as the payee which was false.
Yet still on the 20th day of June Mangombe used one Thabo Khutswane near Palapye in the Central Administrative District of Botswana, acting jointly with intent to defraud FNBB Palapye Branch an amount of P98, 950.00. The accused made a false document purporting it to be a capital BANK, Gaborone MAIN Branch cheque numbered 103000 drawn by Sure Choice (PTY) LTD in favour of Slingpin Investments as the payee when in fact it was not.
Few hours later still on the same day the two went bank to Palapye Branch acting jointly with intent to defraud FNBB an amount of P96, 610.00. The accused made a false document purporting it to be a Capital Bank cheque number 102998 drawn by Sure Choice in favour of Slingpin Investments as the payee when in fact it was not.
On 24th May Mangombe teamed up with Magdeline Mothusi at Gaborone and acting jointly with intent to defraud FNBB Airport Junction Branch an amount of P475, 902.00. The accused made false document purporting it to be FNBB certified Cheque numbered 002873 drawn by Whitacon (PTY) ltd as the payee when in it was not.
Mangombe and Magdeline Mothusi teamed up again on 26th June in FNBB in Riverwalk mall uttered a fraudulent cheque of P496 280.87 purporting it to be drawn by Whitacon (PTY0 LTD in favour of May Holdings (PTY) LTD as the payee which was not correct.
On the 24th day of MAY 2016 Mangombe and Magdeline Mothusi teamed together and defrauded FNBB Airport Junction amount of P291, 496.00 by providing false documents.
The syndicate is facing 30 charges ranging from forgery, uttering a false document, theft and attempt to obtain by false pretences. On other charges they defrauded banks money ranging between P100 000, 00 and P4 000, 00.
Sunday Standard
