Three people have been arrested and brought before the Bulawayo Regional Court on charges of fraud and money laundering in connection with a sophisticated email hack that siphoned US$34,500 from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ).

The funds were intended for an exhibition stand at the Harare Agricultural Show.

The accused are Rubble Chinana (36) and Ashel Chinyana (35) from Cowdray Park, Bulawayo, and Tichawanda Kevin Chinyande (31) from Southview, Harare.

The RBZ had contracted Kutting Edge Events to build an exhibition stand for a total of US$34,500, with payment to be made in two installments.

According to prosecutors, the three, along with other accomplices who are still at large, allegedly hacked into the contractor’s email system, changed the banking details on the invoices, redirecting the payments to their own accounts.

The RBZ, unaware of the change, deposited US17,250 into Rubble Chinana’s Stanbic Bank account on August 28, 2025.

A second deposit of US17,250 followed on September 2, 2025.

Investigations reveal that just after the money was in Chinana’s account, it was quickly laundered through a series of transactions to obscure its origins.

Chinana allegedly transferred US5,500 to Ashel Chinyana’s NMB account.
A further US4,500 was withdrawn and sent via Mukuru, a money transfer service, to a contact in South Africa identified as Richard Nyadongo.
Ashel reportedly received a US$250 commission for her role.
Ashel Chinyana is also accused of withdrawing US$6,500 from her NMB account and depositing it into Tichawanda Chinyande’s CB account, reportedly on the instructions of another suspect, Arnold Kasasa, who remains at large.

The court granted bail to the trio, setting conditions that include a US$150 recognizance deposit for each accused person. They were also ordered not to interfere with witnesses and to report to their specified addresses until the case is finalized.

The case has been remanded to September 30, 2025.