Joe Leeroy, a former accounting executive at Croco Motors (Pvt) Ltd, appeared before Harare Magistrate Sandra Mupindu, charged with defrauding Bureau Veritas of nearly US$120,000. The 38-year-old, who was dismissed from his position at Croco Motors in August 2023, was granted US$500 bail.
The charges stem from an alleged fraudulent vehicle purchase scheme. According to court documents, in July, a complainant intending to buy two Ford Transit buses from Croco Motors reached out to the company for a quotation. Leeroy, assisting with the transaction, communicated with the complainant via email and sent a quote for US$119,954 on July 18.
Subsequently, Leeroy provided the complainant with payment details, directing them to transfer the funds into a Romanian offshore account instead of Croco Motors’ local account. Despite the complainant’s concerns regarding the foreign account, Leeroy assured them that it was easier to process payments through this account, claiming it was affiliated with Croco Motors.
On July 24, the complainant made the payment from their Standard Bank South African account. Afterward, they visited Croco Motors to collect the vehicles but discovered that the company did not hold an offshore account in Romania. Further verification through the company’s IT department confirmed that the account details provided by Leeroy were fraudulent.
As a result of this scam, the complainant lost US$119,954, which remains unrecovered. The case highlights the growing risks of financial fraud, particularly in transactions involving large sums of money.
