Zimbabwe man and woman held over Canada bank fraud

A ZIMBABWEAN man and woman suspected to be masterminds of a bank fraud scheme have been charged by prosecutors in Saguenay, a city in the Quebec region of Canada.

Nhlanhla Ndlovu and Nomalanga Mabhena, both from Montreal, face charges of fraud, attempted fraud, impersonation and obstructing police.

The two were arrested late last month after using forged cheques and false identities to obtain CAN$5,000 from a bank.

Their lawyer Jean-François Tetu said: "They had false ID cards in their possession with their real photos. With this trick, it is alleged they have tried to withdraw money from bank accounts."

At this point it is still not clear whether thisNhlanhla Ndlovu is the same as the one using Kaya FM producer Thabo Shole-Mashao's identity.

Canadian prosecutors say they believe the total fraud committed by the duo could run into several tens of thousands of dollars, with more banks reporting the swindle.

Investigators are checking with other police stations in the region to see if they have unsolved bank crimes.
 
Police hunting the two stopped their vehicle on the boulevard Saint-Jean-Baptiste between Chicoutimi and La Baie on January 23.