UK court jails two Zimbabweans over £1.3m HBOS cheque fraud as alleged ringleader remains at large

UK court jails two Zimbabweans over £1.3m HBOS cheque fraud as alleged ringleader remains at large
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Two Zimbabwean men were sentenced at Leeds Crown Court in the United Kingdom after being  convicted for their involvement in a large-scale bank fraud operation linked to banking and insurance group HBOS, according to a report published on 4 June 2009.

Naison Mubaiwa (34), of Leeds, was jailed for three-and-a-half years, while Paddington Muzondiwa (25), of Swindon, received a two-year prison sentence. The men were described in the report as failed asylum seekers from Zimbabwe.

The court heard the pair were part of a scheme that targeted cheque books intercepted at an HBOS branch in Leeds. The cheques were then deposited into bank accounts connected to those involved, before cash was withdrawn.

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In sentencing, Judge Kerry MacGill described the matter as “fraud on a grand scale”. The judge said the accused acted to make money and knew large sums could be involved, adding: “Whether you came here to better yourselves because of what the UK could offer you, what the UK does not provide for you is to go on and commit crime.”

According to Capstick, the total value stolen was £1.3 million, with the face value of the cheques said to be well over £1 million.

The alleged ring-leader, Joseph Mhaka, was reported to have evaded arrest. Police said the investigation was ongoing.

Detective Chief Superintendent Howard Crowther of West Yorkshire Police was quoted as saying officers accepted the sentences and hoped they would deter others, adding that police would not “standby and allow people to live off ill-gotten gains at the expense of others”.

The case drew attention to cheque fraud methods involving intercepted banking documents and the use of linked accounts to withdraw funds. For communities in Mashonaland Central following Zimbabweans’ experiences abroad, the report also highlights the legal consequences of financial crime in the UK, including lengthy custodial sentences and continuing police investigations when suspects remain at large.

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