Zimbabwean jailed 18 years for ATMs theft

A 41-YEAR-OLD Zimbabwean has been jailed for 18 years for unlawfully accessing data from Barclays Bank Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs).

The Livingstone High Court handed down the sentence on Godwin Wilson after convicting him on 44 counts of making false documentations, being in possession of implements of forgery, being in possession of property believed to proceeds of theft and theft.

Details are that between November 1, 2015 and February 11, 2016, in Livingstone, Wilson accessed critical data of ATMs from Barclays Bank clients in Livingstone and Kalomo without lawful authority.

Wilson was convicted on 26 counts by the trial Magistrate Court while in 18 counts of access to data without authority, the lower court committed him to the High Court for sentencing.

The Magistrate’s Court had also fortified the implements of crime which included ATM cards, Shoprite lottery cards, four cell phones, two laptops, a computer hard drive, a card-writer and also an Elgrand motor vehicle.

In sentencing Wilson, High Court Judge, Kenneth Mulife, handed down 18 years imprisonment with hard labour for each count of accessing data, the sentence which will run concurrently.

Wilson has also been sentenced to 15 years imprisonment with hard labour together with two Zimbabwean women who would serve with simple imprisonment.

Ashley Sibanda, Caroline Chinengada and Wilson are charged with unauthorised access to critical data and theft.

Between December 1, 2015 and February 23, 2016, in Livingstone and Kalomo, the trio accessed critical data from Barclays Bank clients at ATMs in Livingstone and Kalomo branches without lawful authority.