A SUSPECTED illegal foreign currency dealer who allegedly wiped a retired prison officer’s $1 million pension by hacking his cellphone and accessing his bank account has been denied bail with the court saying he is facing a serious offence and there is likelihood he will flee if released.
Thompson Jagada is facing theft charges which the court says amount to fraud as there is misrepresentation.
Regional magistrate Stanford Mambanje said the alleged offence shows premidation and it is aggravated by the manner in which it was committed and that the suspect “wiped everything and left the complainant a destitute.”
The State represented by Lancelot Mutsokoti had opposed his admission to bail with the investigating officer stating that Jagada was implicated by the people whom he allegedly sent the money to.
The court said Jagada had failed to give a plausible defence to the allegations which has failed to disprove the State’s claims that they have overwhelming evidence against him.
Circumstances are that on October 25 2021, Philip Matiza received his pension pay-out of $1 112 292.48 which was credited into his CBZ bank account.
It is alleged that on November 2 Jagada hacked Matiza’s cellphone and got access to his CBZ banking credentials.
He allegedly entered into his account and noticed that it had money before approaching his colleagues stating that he had money in the bank and wanted to exchange it for United States dollars.
Reports are that he was linked to another person who wanted $470 289.09 to be transferred into a CBZ bank trust account for a law firm which was then processed and he was given US$3700 for the transfer.
It is further alleged that on the same day Jagada went into a local supermarket and purchased bulk airtime worth $525 250 using the Matiza’s CBZ account.
He is further alleged to have processed three other transactions of $9 750, $10 000 and $220 to three people. The court heard that on November 3, went into a supermarket in Gweru where he wanted to purchase some groceries and when he tried to make a payment at the till point, the transaction was declined.
He is said to have went to a CBZ bank in Gweru to enquire what was happening with his debit card and he was told his account only had a balance of $1 800 and he requested for a printout of his bank statement which showed that all the money that was in his bank account had been withdrawn.
The complainant then reported to the bank’s Loss control department and investigations carried out revealed that Jagada had fleeced Matiza of his money and went into the streets to buy foreign currency which he allegedly invested in his business of selling smartphones allegedly as a way to clean the money.