The Drug Enforcement Commission through its Anti-Money Laundering Investigations Unit has arrested a businessman for fraud and money laundering.
Richard Mutela aged 41 has been charged with; Forgery and Uttering False Documents contrary to the Laws of Zambia, Possession of Property Suspected of Being Proceeds of Crime and Money Laundering.
DEC Public Relations Officer Hussein Khan said particulars of the offences are that Mutela jointly and whilst acting together with others unknown on dates unknown, but between January, 2023 and August 24, 2023, forged 25 Green National Registration Cards some of which are in the names of suspected foreign nationals.
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. 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,” he said.
He said 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 US $ 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.
In another matter, the Anti-Money Laundering Investigations Unit has arrested a banker at a known commercial bank.
Sailas Singogo aged 29 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 1, 2022 and August 18, 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. Singogo further engaged in money laundering involving the K403, 650.17 proceeds of crime. He is on bond and will appear in court soon.
The Commission is greatly concerned with the high levels of fraud occurring in the country and urges 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 as they may be used for nefarious purposes by organized criminal networks.
Fraud is detrimental to any form of economic activity and in this vein, the Commission is calling on all actors in this space to join hands in order to curb the vice.
