5 Zimbabweans convicted in £300,000 NHS fraud in UK

Five Zimbabwean nationals have been convicted in the United Kingdom for their roles in a £300,000 (US$365,000 / R6.8 million) fraud and money laundering scheme targeting the National Health Service (NHS). The convictions were handed down after a six-week trial at Southwark Crown Court, which began on 1 September 2025.

According to the NHS Counter Fraud Authority (NHSCFA), the scheme was orchestrated by 42-year-old Edias Mazambani, a credit controller at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust in London. Prosecutors told the court that Mazambani abused his privileged access to NHS financial systems to process fake refund requests linked to patient funds held by the trust.

Ben Harrison, Head of Operations at the NHSCFA, said Mazambani "used his privileged access to confidential financial data to steal over £218,000 (US$265,000 / R4.9 million) and attempt a further £84,000 (US$102,000 / R1.9 million)." The fraudulent activity was uncovered by the hospital's finance department after staff detected suspicious refund patterns that were traced back to Mazambani's system credentials. A search of his home later uncovered documents related to the fake transactions.

Four other Zimbabweans were convicted of money laundering in connection with the scheme. George Magaya (48) pleaded guilty on 3 September 2025 to four counts of money laundering. Rosemary Magaya (37) and Michelle Tengende (40) were both found guilty by a jury on 14 October 2025, along with Sinqobile Pasipanodya (43). At the time of the offences, both Tengende and Rosemary Magaya were employed by the NHS.

The NHSCFA reported that the total value of the fraud was £302,000 (US$367,000 / R6.8 million), with £218,000 successfully stolen and a further £84,000 in attempted claims stopped. Financial analysis revealed that the stolen funds were moved through several accounts before being routed back to Mazambani and the Magayas. Investigators applied the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (POCA) to trace the money and confirmed that asset recovery proceedings are underway.

Ben Harrison commended the collaboration between NHS staff and investigators, saying: "This was a sophisticated internal fraud that exploited the trust of patients and the NHS system. Our investigation demonstrates that we will pursue fraudsters wherever the evidence leads and use all available powers to recover stolen NHS funds."

All five convicted individuals had initially pleaded not guilty in November 2023. They have been released on unconditional bail pending sentencing, which is scheduled to take place at Southwark Crown Court in January 2026.