A former NHS employee has been jailed for more than three years after using his access to hospital financial systems to orchestrate a large-scale fraud that targeted money held on behalf of patients.
Edias Mazambani (42) of unknown address, was sentenced to three years and eight months’ imprisonment at Southwark Crown Court on Friday, 30 January 2026.
He had earlier pleaded guilty to fraud by abuse of position during a trial on 3 September 2025.
Four co-defendants were also sentenced at the same court for their roles in laundering the stolen money.
George Magaya (49) of unknown address, received three years and two months in prison after pleading guilty to four counts of money laundering.
Michelle Tengende (40) of Briar Road, Watford, was given a 12-month sentence, suspended for two years, and ordered to pay £1 000 in costs by 31 December 2026.
She had been found guilty of money laundering on 14 October 2025 and was employed by the NHS at the time of the offences.
Sinqobile Pasipanodya (43) of Dane Meadows Place, Holmes Chapel, Crewe, was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment, suspended for two years, and ordered to pay £1 000 in costs by 31 December 2026.
Rosemary Magaya (37) of Cromwell Road, Eccles, Manchester, was also handed an 18-month suspended sentence after being found guilty of money laundering on 14 October 2025.
The fraud came to light after staff in the finance department at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust spotted suspicious refund requests linked to accounts holding money for patients and clients.
An internal investigation pointed to Mazambani, who had authorised access to secure financial databases. Further checks revealed links between him and the bank accounts that received the fraudulent payments.
Investigators from the NHS Counter Fraud Authority (NHSCFA) traced the stolen funds using powers under the Proceeds of Crime Act. They found that Mazambani had processed fake refund claims, with the money being sent to accounts connected to the other defendants.
Police recovered documents relating to trust refunds from Mazambani’s home. He gave a “no comment” interview after his arrest.
In total, more than £218 000 was paid out in fraudulent refunds, with a further £84 000 in false claims stopped before payment — bringing the overall fraud value to more than £302 000.
Financial analysis showed that much of the money received by the co-defendants was later transferred back to Mazambani, George Magaya and Rosemary Magaya.
Ben Harrison, Head of Operations at the NHS Counter Fraud Authority, said: “This sentencing reflects the seriousness of abusing a trusted position within the NHS for personal gain. Mazambani exploited his access to sensitive financial systems to orchestrate a fraud that targeted funds held on behalf of patients, with others knowingly involved in laundering the proceeds. Thanks to the vigilance of the trust’s finance team and our investigators’ use of Proceeds of Crime Act powers, significant losses were identified and further fraud was prevented. We will continue to work closely with NHS organisations to protect public money and hold those responsible to account.”
