*Ex-ZNA Soldier Defrauded of Pension by Former Colleague* A retired soldier is facing financial ruin after allegedly being defrauded by a fellow Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) retiree who left service at the same time. Forward Mapfunde, a Harare resident from Warren Park D, has taken legal action against his former colleague, 43-year-old Tigere Dube, accusing him of orchestrating a scheme that drained his pension. Dube appeared in court before Harare Magistrate Ruth Moyo on fraud charges. He has not yet entered a plea and is awaiting a ruling on his bail application. He currently resides in Mbobola Village, under Chief Masunda’s jurisdiction in Zvishavane, and previously served at the Ordinance Supply Depot in the Southern Region. According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Mapfunde received a lump sum payout on September 23, 2024, comprising USD $13,003.34 and ZWL $14,041, which was deposited into his National Building Society (NBS) nostro and ZiG accounts—both linked to his Econet mobile number. The court was told that between September 28 and 30, 2024, Dube and accomplices—known only as Lucky and Jake—allegedly produced a fake national ID that matched Mapfunde’s details but featured Dube’s photograph. Using the counterfeit ID, Dube is said to have visited an Econet branch in Rushinga and fraudulently replaced Mapfunde’s SIM card. Once they had control of the phone number, the suspects downloaded the NBS mobile banking app and linked it to the stolen number. From there, they accessed Mapfunde’s accounts, transferring funds from both the nostro and ZiG accounts into an EcoCash account associated with the stolen number. The money was subsequently withdrawn at various EcoCash agents in Harare. Additionally, the suspects allegedly used ZIPIT transfers to move funds from the NBS account into other mobile wallets and bank accounts under their control. Mapfunde became aware of the crime on September 30, 2024, after experiencing network issues and visiting an Econet store in Harare to reactivate his SIM. Upon regaining control of his phone and banking services, he discovered the unauthorized transactions. He reported the matter to Harare Central Police Station the same day, and the case is now being handled by the Commercial Crimes Division of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID). Authorities say a total of USD $10,000 and ZiG $12,230 was stolen. No recoveries have been made to date. Follow Channel For More News : https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaX77yH5fM5bBLKuyp1O