Dar es Salaam
(The Citizen, Tuesday, 22.04.2014). Last week’s “robbery” at Barclays
Bank’s Kinondoni branch,
where armed gangsters reportedly grabbed Sh300 million, was faked, The Citizen
can authoritatively report.
Impeccable
sources close to the ongoing investigation into the incident confided in The
Citizen that the “raid” by three men was planned and executed to cover up the
theft of tens of millions of shillings that had previously taken place at the
branch.
Some
employees at the branch are said to have colluded with rogue police officers to
fake a robbery in an attempt to hide the truth about the theft. The workers,
including a senior official at the branch, are among those being held for
questioning.
According
to our inquiries, detectives are also looking for a police officer from Oyster
Bay Police Station, who disappeared as investigators zeroed in on him.
The
officer vanished after learning that one of the suspects had told detectives
about the stage-managed “raid” and the role of the fugitive.
Yesterday,
Dar es Salaam
police boss Suleiman Kova declined
to give details about the progress of the investigation, saying he would do so
today at a news conference.
Asked
about the whereabouts of the fugitive police officer, Mr Kova said: “We are still gathering and
receiving more information and will give a comprehensive statement at a media
briefing later.”
Earlier, Kinondoni Regional Police Commander Camillius Wambura told The Citizen that briefings on the
incident would henceforth be provided by Mr Kova.
Contacted
for comment yesterday, Barclays head of Marketing and Communications Neema-Rose Singo told The Citizen that she had nothing
to say as it was a public holiday.
According
to eyewitnesses, the “robbery” took place at around 9.30am last Tuesday and
involved three men, who had arrived at the bank on a motorcycle. One remained
outside while his accomplices entered the branch and walked out a few minutes
later with a big bag that was purportedly stuffed with hundreds of millions of
shillings.
The
three men jumped on their motorcycle and sped away. Police arrived at the scene
about 20 minutes later.
No
shot was fired and the casual manner of the “robbers” raised eyebrows.
A day
after the incident, some employees at the bank and several other people were
arrested and their mobile phones confiscated by police as part of the
investigation.
The
source said the suspects were questioned separately in the presence of Mr Wambura and other senior police officers.
According
to the source, drama unfolded when one of the bank’s employees volunteered to
spill the beans as soon as he entered the interrogation room.
“He
pleaded with investigators not to be too hard on him as he was ready to reveal
the truth.
“At
that juncture, one of the police officers (name withheld) asked to be allowed
to leave the room, saying he was not feeling well.
“As
soon as the officer had left, the Barclays employee said the officer who had
just gone out knew everything about the plot,” the source said.
The
employee told investigators that a huge amount of money had already been stolen
at the branch and the “robbery” was a way of covering up the theft. He said the
police officer
in question knew everything beforehand.
Noticing
that the officer was taking too long to return to the interrogation room, his
boss telephoned him, only to be told by the officer that he had gone home
because he was not feeling well.
When
his bosses decided to trace him to his home, the officer was nowhere to be
seen, and the gun he was carrying was found abandoned at a corner of the police
building.
Last
week, Ms Singo said
the bank and its employees would cooperate with police in their endeavour to
get to the bottom of the incident. The branch re-opened a day after the “raid”.
Police
are under the spotlight again after a gang raided the Kariakoo branch of Habib Bank and reportedly made off with Sh1
billion last August.
Police
have yet to arrest a suspect after what Mr Kova said
was an incident that had all the hallmarks of an inside job.
The
casual manner of the “robbers”, who nonchalantly strolled in and out of the
bank in broad daylight without bothering to hide their identities, has fuelled
complicity theories.
Some 48 hours
later, police still seemed to have no idea who they were.
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