By Crime and Courts Reporter | Police have launched a manhunt for alleged serial fraudster Manase Manjovha, who skipped bail before the … Continue reading "Fugitive and Serial Fraudster Manjovha Skips Bail"
By Crime and Courts Reporter | Police have launched a manhunt for alleged serial fraudster Manase Manjovha, who skipped bail before the conclusion of a trial in which he and two accomplices were accused of attempting to steal US$229 000 from a private security company through an internet banking scam.
Manjovha remains on the run after allegedly absconding from the trial, prompting the issuance of a warrant for his arrest.
His alleged accomplice, Gladston Mthulisi Tshabalala, 40, was sentenced by Harare magistrate Tilda Mazhande to 30 months in prison in March this year. The magistrate suspended 18 months on condition of good behaviour, leaving him to serve an effective 12 months.
The third accused, Dalumuzi Moyo, died before the trial was concluded.
Manjovha has previously been linked to other high-profile allegations involving cyber fraud, hacking and identity theft, according to background information reviewed for this report. He is now wanted in connection with the US$229 000 case.
Tshabalala was convicted after investigators recovered incriminating evidence from mobile phones seized during the investigation.
The State alleged that the three men plotted in September 2024 to gain access to a local security company’s bank account and transfer US$229 000.
The company’s manager, Cephas Ngorima, was the complainant, while Econet agent Taurai Mushamba was a key State witness.
The State’s case was that on September 12, 2024, Manjovha approached Mushamba at his Econet booth at the corner of First Street and George Silundika Avenue in Harare, seeking to replace a SIM card registered to the security company’s director.
The number was linked to the company’s Nedbank nostro account.
Mushamba asked for the registered owner to be present and for the address supplied when the line was registered.
Manjovha, Tshabalala and Moyo later returned, claiming that one of them was the registered owner.
But Mushamba became suspicious after noticing that none of the men matched the photograph on the national identity document they produced. The address they supplied also did not match the registration details.
When Mushamba went to report the matter at a nearby police base, the trio allegedly realised they were in trouble and fled in a Toyota Aqua.
Mushamba was later approached by Jefferes Chipwanyira, who allegedly offered him US$50 to facilitate the SIM replacement.
Mushamba alerted police, leading to Chipwanyira’s arrest.
During interrogation, Chipwanyira allegedly told investigators that Manjovha had recruited him for the operation and agreed to assist police.
On September 13, 2024, officers from Harare Central Police Station and Harare Homicide used Chipwanyira to lure the suspects from their Bulawayo base.
Chipwanyira contacted Manjovha, Tshabalala and Moyo and told them he had secured the replacement SIM card.
The trio was allegedly told to travel to Harare to collect the SIM card and the one-time password required to access the targeted account.
They travelled towards the capital but were intercepted in Norton.
The suspects allegedly tried to flee, abandoning their Toyota Aqua, before police arrested them.
Investigators seized the vehicle and four mobile phones, which were sent to the Cyber Laboratory for forensic examination.
The examination allegedly recovered information linking the phones to the attempted fraud.
The State subsequently argued that the evidence showed a plan to take control of the security company’s mobile banking access and siphon US$229 000 from its account.
With Moyo dead and Tshabalala serving his sentence, Manjovha is now the only one of the three accused still at large.
Police have issued a warrant for his arrest and are appealing for information that could lead to his capture.
