Good men gone bad: G4S Security guards who stole NBC’s billions arrested living in luxury

Dar es Salaam. Police are holding four security guards from G4S Security Company for allegedly conspiring to steal over Sh2 billion from NBC Bank Plc.

The four allegedly committed the crime on February 7, 2020.

Speaking at a news conference today, Dar es Salaam Regional Police Commander Mr Lazaro Mambosasa said the four collected the amount from NBC Kariakoo and Samora branches on that day.

They, according to Mr Mambosasa, were supposed to take the money to NBC headquarters in the city center.

However, Mr Mambosasa said instead of taking the money to the bank’s headquarters, the suspects took the money to Temeke Maduka Mawili, where they offloaded the cash to a saloon car.

The money was in various currencies, which include Sh1.28 billion, $402,000 and Euro27, 700.

Mr Mambosasa named the suspects as Christopher Cleophace Rugemalila (34) a resident of Chanika Mohamedi Athumani Ramadhani (40) a resident of mtoni kijichi Ibrahimu Ramadhani Maunga (49), a resident of Kiluvya. Salimu Shamte (45) a resident of Mbagala Kizuiani.

Mr Mambosasa also revealed that they are holding nine police officers violating term of conduct during the investigation.

Explaining, Mr Mambosasa said after offloading the money to a saloon car the suspects abandoned the G4S car as well as the two guns before diapering into the wild.

According to Mr Mambosaa the police formed a special team to investigate the incident.

The team arrested Mr Rugemalira on February 17 at Mongo la Ndege area in the city. After thorough inspection he was found with Sh110 million and $19,000.

Mr Mambosasa said after interrogation it was found out that the suspect has purchased five cars, two houses as well as furniture all worth Sh297.11 million.

The second suspect Mr Mohamed Ramadhani and Salimu Shamte were arrested in Mbagala and when they were inspected they were found with Sh332 million and Euro55, 010 and a Toyota IST which they had used to steal the money from the G4S car.

Mr Mambosasa added that the Mr Ibrahim Ramadhani Maunga the last suspect to be arrested on February 24, 2020.

Mr Maunga was found with properties worth Sh253 million, the properties includes a house, a plot of land as well as cars.

Apart from the three the police have also arrested another person who allegedly helped the three to steal the money.

The latest episode was reminiscent of an incident in 2000 when Justin Kasusura grabbed headlines following the robbery $2 million (about Sh4.5 billion at the current exchange rate), which being transported from the Julius Nyerere International Airport to a Citibank branch.

The $2 million in cash was brought in from the United States by Swissair before it was stolen on the way to the branch.

However, the Court of Appeal has set free Mr Kasusura, the man at the centre of the dramatic theft of $2 million (about Sh4.5 billion) due to what it termed as shoddy investigation and poor prosecution.

Mr Kasusura alias John Laizer was in 2007 sentenced to 30 years in jail after the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court found him guilty of armed robbery and theft.

He was charged along six other persons who were later freed after the court found them to have no case to answer.