NHSCFA investigation leads to five convictions in fraud case

Edias Mazambani, aged 42, pleaded guilty to fraud by abuse of position during a trial held at Southwark Crown Court on 3 September. The trial, which lasted for six weeks, also saw four others convicted of money laundering.

George Magaya, aged 48, pleaded guilty to four counts of money laundering.

On 14 October, the Jury found Rosemary Magaya, aged 37, and Michelle Tengende, aged 40, guilty of money laundering. Both were employed by the NHS at the time of the offences. The Jury also found Sinqobile Pasipanodya, aged 43, guilty of money laundering.

All five individuals had previously pleaded not guilty to all charges at a hearing at Southwark Crown Court on 9 November 2023. They’ve all been released on unconditional bail ahead of sentencing, which is expected to take place in January.

Suspicious refund requests 

The fraud was uncovered by staff within the Finance Department at Guy’s and St Thomas’ after they identified suspicious refund requests relating to monies held on behalf of patients and clients.

Internal investigations revealed the involvement of a trust employee, namely Mazambani, who had access to secure financial databases. Further checks confirmed links between Mazambani and the bank accounts receiving fraudulent payments.

NHSCFA financial investigators used their powers under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 to trace the stolen funds. The investigation revealed that Mazambani had facilitated fraudulent refund claims and that money had been transferred to accounts linked to the other defendants.

Following his arrest, Mazambani provided a ‘no comment’ interview. Documents relating to NHS Foundation Trust refunds were recovered from his home address.

The investigation identified over £218,000 in fraudulent refunds having been paid out, with an additional £84,000 in fraudulent claims prevented, bringing the total fraud value to over £302,000.

Financial analyses revealed the four co-defendants received substantial funds through the fraudulent scheme, which were subsequently transferred back to Mazambani and the Magayas in most cases.

Sophisticated internal fraud

Ben Harrison, head of operations at the NHSCFA, said: “This was a sophisticated internal fraud that exploited the trust of patients and the NHS system. Mazambani used his privileged access to confidential financial data to steal over £218,000 and attempt a further £84,000, involving accomplices to launder the proceeds.”

Harrison added: “Our investigation, working closely with the NHS Foundation Trust’s finance team, demonstrates that we will pursue fraudsters wherever the evidence leads and use all available powers to recover stolen NHS funds.”