By Staff Reporter
ACCESS Forex, a prominent financial institution dealing with cash remittances, is at the center of a massive fraud and money laundering scandal, with former employee Grace Makozho accused of orchestrating a scheme that cost the company over US$322,510 and ZAR650,000 in losses.
Makozho appeared before Harare regional magistrate Mr. Donald Ndirowei on Monday, facing serious charges including fraud, money laundering, and providing false information to a public authority.
She was remanded in custody, with a bail ruling set to be made today.
Prosecutor Mr. Lancelot Mutsokoti detailed that the alleged fraudulent activities took place in April 2023, when Makozho was employed by Access Forex in South Africa.
According to the State, Makozho devised a scheme to defraud the company by creating ghost remittance accounts within the company’s internal system.
She reportedly used the credentials of her colleague, Liniet Maphosa, to access the company’s transfer system and transfer funds from Access Forex in South Africa to 91 recipients in Zimbabwe.
Among the recipients were Makozho’s alleged accomplices, Dickson Gweshe and Shepherd Gweshe, both of whom are still at large. After the money was withdrawn by the recipients from Access Forex tellers in Zimbabwe, it is alleged that they handed over the cash to Makozho.
