A 29-year-old banker at a known commercial bank has been arrested for fraudulently acquiring more than K400,000.
Meanwhile a 41-year-old man has been arrested for forging 25 National Registration cards (NRC’s) and being in possession of 20 Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cards which are suspectedly in the names of foreign nationals.
In the first case, Salias Singogo, a banker is believed to have made a bank transfer of the money in question between December last year and this year.
Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) Public Relations Officer Hussein Khan who confirmed the development said the banker has been charged with Fraudulent False Accounting and Theft by Servant.
“Particulars of the matter are that Singogo jointly and whilst acting together with others unknown on dates unknown ,but between December 1st, 2022 and August 18th,2023 fraudulently accounted for K403,650.17 which he later transferred into his two bank accounts held at the bank he was working and purported that the transfers were genuine transactions when in fact not,” he said.
Mr Khan said Singogo further engaged in money laundering involving the K403, 650.17 proceeds of crime.
Meanwhile, DEC through its Anti-Money Laundering Investigations Unit has also arrested a businessman for fraud and money laundering.
Richard Mutela aged 41 has been charged with; Forgery and Uttering False Documents.
“Particulars of the offences are that Mutela jointly and whilst acting together with others unknown on dates unknown, but between January 1st, 2023 and August 24th, 2023, forged 25 Green National Registration Cards some of which are in the names of suspected foreign nationals,” he said.
Mr Khan said Mutela used one of the forged NRC’s in the name of Moses Phiri to open an account at a known commercial bank and started transacting.
He said this account has since been frozen with a balance of K198, 020.
“He further gained access to various ATM cards for some commercial banks without authorization from the banks or the owners of the cards. Mutela also engaged in money laundering involving proceeds of crime.”
“At the time of arrest, Mutela was found with 25 NRC’s, 20 ATM cards for various commercial banks and cash amounting to K130, 290 and USD$1,000. These have been seized together with a Toyota Vitz registration number BAZ 2644. Mutela is on bond and will appear in court soon,” he said.
Mr Khan said the commission has noted with concern the high levels of fraud occurring in the country and has urged members of the public to ensure that their identity documents such as NRC’s, passports and driving licences including ATM cards do not fall into wrong hands.
(Mwebantu, Thursday, 31st August, 2023)
