BY DESMOND CHINGARANDE
A SUSPECTED bank card cloner has appeared before Harare magistrate Dennis Mangosi to answer to charges of unauthorised possession of debit cards after he allegedly withdrew $186 000 from unsuspecting depositors’ bank accounts.
Jeremiah Mwanjira (32) was remanded in custody to today for bail hearing.
The complainant in the first case is Adolf Kumbirai Gusha, a retired town clerk of Masvingo City Council.
It is the State’s case that on a date unknown to the prosecutor but during the month of October 2021, the accused acted in connivance with his accomplices Ian Tafirenyika Samuriwo and another only identified as Tinashe, who are still at large and cloned Gusha’s ZB Bank card.
On October 30 at around 1245hrs, Mwanjira and his accomplices approached N Richard’s Wholesale, Msasa branch, Harare, driving a Toyota Mark X, whose registration numbers were not captured.
The State alleges that the accused alighted from the vehicle, leaving behind his accomplices.
He then entered N Richards Wholesale with the cloned card and went to the till which was being operated by Emily Jena.
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Mwanjira used the cloned card to purchase 25 boxes of 12×2 litres of cooking oil for $182 199,50, 2×250 grammes of polony for $275,30, 1x440mm of Sting Gold can for $48,42 and 1×500 grammes of Cerevita corn and wheat satchet ($330,89).
The complainant suffered prejudice in the sum of $182 854,11 which was recovered.
On the second count, the complainant is a teacher, Logic Chimwai.
It is alleged that on the same day, Mwanjira used a cloned card in the name of Chimwai’s ZB Bank account at the same wholesale to buy 1x750mm of Viceroy Brandy for $1 107,50.
The till operator became suspicious and advised CCTV monitor Faral Karikoga and Fawcett security guards, which led to Mwanjira’s arrest.
Chimwai suffered prejudice in the sum of $1 107,50, but the Viceroy Brandy bottle was recovered.
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