Two policemen charged over Barclays ‘robbery’

Dar es Salaam. Two police officers were yesterday brought to court in connection with last month’s theft of nearly Sh500 million at a Barclays Bank branch in the city.

The officers are alleged to have colluded with employees at the bank’s Kinondoni branch to steal the money and thereafter fake a robbery on April 15 in order to hoodwink the proprietors and conceal their tracks.

The accused, Detective Sergeant Iddy and Detective Corporal Bundala appeared before Resident Magistrate Fank Moshi.

The two were marched to the court under tight security, with an apparent efforts to charge the duo away from the glare of cameras and waiting reporters who had, however, been tipped earlier that two law enforcers would be hauled before the magistrate to face charges of stealing.

According to the rules governing the Police Force, the two officers must first be relieved of their jobs as keepers of law and order before they are made to appear in a civilian court to answer to crime charges.

Bundala and Iddy denied the charges that were read out by state attorney Hellen Moshi.

According to the prosecution, the accused assisted the key suspects in the “robbery”, namely Alune Kasilika, Kakamie Julius, Boniface Muumba and Sezary Massawe, to escape arrest and punishment for playing a part in the theft of the millions belonging to the Barclays Bank.

The accused are alleged to have committed the offence on April 16 this year at Kijitonyama in the city. They were charged under sections 387(1) and 388 of the Penal Code.

The court later released them after they met the bail condition which required them to secure two reliable sureties for each who are government employees or any recognised institutions.

Kasilika who is the bank’s Kinondoni branch manager, Julius, Muumba and Massawe were arraigned last Friday along with other three persons, and charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit robbery as well as armed robbery of Sh390.2 million, $55,000 and euros 2,150.

Other accused are Neema Batchu, Iddy Khamis, and Ruth Macha.

They were all remanded after the court refused to grant them bail because the robbery offences (armed/with violence) which they are charged with disqualify them from enjoying bail.

They are accused of having invaded the bank’s Kinondoni branch on April 15, this year and made away with the money in a reportedly 10-minute daylight heist during which no bullets were fired; nor were there any case of persons being injured.

The accused allegedly used weapons to threaten bank workers Anifa Ahmad and Anna Tegete to obtain the money.

The case will come up for another mention on May 15 when the police officers will be enjoined with the seven civilians accused in the case.