7 charged with Barclays robbery

Barclays Bank’s robbery suspects cover their faces as they were being led to remand prison in Dar es Salaam yesterday. PHOTO | VENANCE NESTORY 

By Rosina John,The Citizen Correspondent

In Summary

• They are accused of having invaded the bank’s Kinondoni branch on April 15, 2014 and made away with the money

Dar es Salaam. Seven persons including two managers of Barclays Bank were yesterday charged with two counts of conspiracy and armed robbery of Sh390.2 million, $55,000 and euros 2,150.

They denied the charges and were remanded.

They are accused of having invaded the bank’s Kinondoni branch on April 15, 2014 and made away with the money in a 10-minute daylight robbery that no gunshot was heard.

Yesterday, the accused covered their faces upon arriving at the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court around 11 am under tight police security.

After charges against them were read, resident magistrate Nyigulila Mwaseba refused to grant bail to the accused because the offences they were charged with are unbailable.

The accused are the bank’s Kinondoni branch manager Alune Kasililika and Neema Batchu.

Others are  Kakamie Julius, Iddy Khamis, Sezary Massawe, Boniphace Muumba and Ruth Macha, who are businesspeople.

 

Senior state attorney Tumaini Kweka, alleged that the accused, on an unknown date and place in Dar es Salaam, conspired to carry out the armed robbery at the bank.

He said on April 15, the accused stole Sh390.2 million, $55,000 and euros 2,150 at the bank.

According to the prosecution, the accused used weapons to threaten bank workers Anifa Ahmad and Anna Tegete to obtain the money.

An investigation into the case is still going on and the court yesterday set May 15 for mentioning.