Five Zimbabweans Guilty Of Fraud, Money Laundering Over £300,000 NHS Scam In UK

Five Zimbabweans Convicted In Massive NHS £300,000 Scam In UK

Five Zimbabweans have been convicted over a £300,000 (US$365,000 / R6.8 million) fraud and money laundering scheme targeting the NHS in the United Kingdom. The convictions came after a six-week trial at Southwark Crown Court, which began on 1 September 2025.

How The Fraud Was Carried Out

According to the NHS Counter Fraud Authority (NHSCFA), the scheme was led by 42-year-old Zimbabwean, Edias Mazambani. He worked as a credit controller at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in London.

Prosecutors told the court that Mazambani abused his access to NHS financial systems by processing fake refund requests. These claims are related to patient funds held by the trust.

“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),” said Ben Harrison, Head of Operations at the NHSCFA.

The fraud was uncovered by the hospital’s finance staff, who noticed suspicious refund activity and traced it back to Mazambani’s credentials. When investigators searched his home, they found documents linked to the false transactions.

Co-Defendants Convicted

Four other Zimbabweans were found guilty of money laundering.

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 of money laundering by a jury on 14 October 2025.
Sinqobile Pasipanodya, 43, was also convicted by the jury on the same day.

Both Tengende and Rosemary Magaya were employed by the NHS at the time.

All five had earlier pleaded not guilty in November 2023. They were released on unconditional bail pending sentencing, scheduled for January 2026.

Over £300,000 In Fraudulent Activity

The NHSCFA revealed that £218,000 (US$265,000 / R4.9 million) had been successfully stolen. A further £84,000 (US$102,000 / R1.9 million) in attempted fraudulent claims was stopped. The total value of the fraud stood at £302,000 (US$367,000 / R6.8 million).

Financial analysis showed that the stolen money was moved through multiple accounts, often routed back to Mazambani and the Magayas. Investigators used the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (POCA) to track the funds and confirmed asset recovery proceedings would follow.

Ben Harrison praised the collaboration between investigators and NHS finance staff.

“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.”

Sentencing for all five convicted Zimbabweans will take place at Southwark Crown Court in January 2026.