HARARE – Money transfer company Access Forex lost US$300,000 and R600,000 after an employee at its Johannesburg branch in South Africa created ghost remittances, a court heard on Monday.

Grace Makozho, 31, appeared before Harare regional magistrate Donald Ndirowei facing charges of fraud, money laundering and supplying false information to a public authority.

She was remanded in custody awaiting her bail hearing.

The National Prosecuting Authority said sometime in April 2023, Makozho hatched a plan to defraud the company.

It is alleged that she went on to create ghost remittances accounts within the company’s computer system using the credentials of a workmate who was responsible for receiving funds from clients for transfer.

The NPA charges: “Accused, after creating ghost accounts bearing non-existent remitters, used Linient Maphosa’s credentials to log into the transfer system.

“Accused then used the ghosts accounts to transfer various amounts from Access Forex South Africa to 91 various recipients in Zimbabwe.”

Amongst the recipients were her alleged accomplices Dickson and Shepherd Gweshe who are still at large.

“Accused would then instruct the recipients to withdraw the money from Access Forex tellers in Zimbabwe and to handover the cash to her. Accused would drive from South Africa to Zimbabwe to collect the cash after being withdrawn by her recipients,” said prosecutor Lancelot Mutsokoti.

Makozho allegedly went on to use the money to acquire various properties.

She allegedly further deposited some of the money she received from her recipients into two bank accounts held with the First National Bank in South Africa.

Access Forex discovered the theft after carrying out an audit which exposed the fake money transfers.

Said Mutsokoti: “On April 5, 2025, detectives received information that the accused person was at her home in Village Kada under Chief Nyajena in Chiredzi.

“Detectives reacted to the information and drove to Chiredzi. Upon arrival they identified themselves to the accused and her parents who included her biological father.

“The accused was asked to identify herself and she lied to the police who is a public authority that her name was Milicent Kwangwari being a sister to the accused who was being sought and that Grace Makazho was in South Africa.

“Makozho was taken to Masvingo rural police station where she was further interviewed and searches were made.

“It was discovered that the accused had lied to the police after a national identity card bearing her was found in her bag. She later confessed that she had lied to the police.”

The court heard that the total value defrauded is US$322,510 and R650,000. Nothing has been recovered.