LUSAKA – The National Prosecution Authority (NPA), through its Taxation and Financial Crimes Department, has secured the conviction of Eric Mubaka Ndhlovu, a former clerk at the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC), who has been sentenced for his role in a fraudulent scheme that saw him steal K108,000.00 from the institution.
Ndhlovu was convicted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Court (EFCC) on 48 counts, including forgery, uttering false documents, theft by a public servant, money laundering, and fraudulent false accounting.
The brief facts of the case are that between May 9 and September 5, 2022, Ndhlovu manipulated FIC’s Investrust Bank account payment instructions and internal memos, forging documents to authorise payments that were never approved. Acting as the institution’s bank agent, he presented these falsified instructions to Investrust Bank and FIC’s clients, diverting K108,000.00 into his personal account.
The scheme was uncovered during a routine reconciliation process, when FIC officials noticed discrepancies between the bank statements Ndhlovu provided and the official records from the bank. Further investigations revealed that some payment instructions contained his personal account details, and that certain transactions were conducted without supporting documents.
A handwriting expert testified that Ndhlovu personally signed fraudulent documents, some of which had cut-and-paste signatures from genuine instructions, making them appear authentic. Bank officials confirmed that some of the stolen funds were withdrawn in cash over the counter, while the rest was deposited directly into his ZANACO account.
Presiding over the matter, Senior Resident Magistrate Trevor Kasanda Kalisilira convicted Ndhlovu on all 48 counts and sentenced him as follows:
24 months’ imprisonment for 46 counts of forgery, uttering false documents, and theft by a public servant (to run concurrently)
K25,000.00 fine for money laundering
Three years’ imprisonment for fraudulent false accounting
In addition, the court issued a statutory judgment in favour of the Attorney General, ordering the recovery of K108,000.00, equivalent to the stolen amount.
This successful prosecution not only reinforces the NPA’s commitment to tackling financial crimes and ensuring public accountability but also highlights its non-targeted approach to justice. The outcome of this case demonstrates that anyone who violates the law, regardless of their position or social standing, will face the full force of the law.
The NPA remains steadfast in its mission to uphold justice and ensure that public resources are safeguarded from abuse.