More suspects for NBC robbery case

Daily News; Sunday,October 05, 2008

THE prosecution is set to substitute a charge sheet of an armed robbery case in which 10 Kenyan nationals and a Tanzanian are alleged to have grabbed, at gun point, 5.3 bn/- from the National Bank of Commerce (NBC) Limited, Moshi Branch on May 21, 2004.

Kenyan suspects accused of the offence include Wilfred Onyango Nganyi alias Dadii, Boniface Mwangi Mburu alias Bonche, David Ngugi Mburu alias Davi, Michael Mbanya Wathigo alias Mike, Patrick Muthee Murithi alias Musevu, Gabriel Kungu Kariuki, Jimmy Maina Njoroge alias Ordinary and Simon Ndungu Kiambuthi and a Tanzanian, Raymond Mushi.

According to the Moshi- based State Attorney, Juma Ramadhan, the substituted charge sheet is intended to include a person who is alleged to have masterminded the armed robbery, Jumanne Kilongola (50), who was arrested last Wednesday at Buguruni Kwa Mnyamani area in Ilala district, Dar es Salaam region.

Two Kenyans -- Moses Moge (46), a resident of Thika and George Githui, both of whom are accomplices of Kilongola who has been masquerading as a 'bishop' of the Arusha-based Assemblies of God Church, are also likely to be joined in the substituted charge sheet.

According to statement of facts presented before Moshi District Court here in August last year during a preliminary hearing of the case, on May 19, 2004, one of the participants of the Moshi NBC robbery, Kilongola, hired a Land Cruiser pick-up, green in colour with registration number ARL 583 from one Mohamed Abdallah Twalib of Arusha.

The 'bishop'-turned bandit, Kilongola, wanted a self-drive because he had allegedly a big group of his 'Church Choir' going to Simanjiro, Arusha.

Kilongola and Twalib agreed a fee of 320,000/- to be paid in two instalments of 160,000/- each. After Kilongola had paid the first instalment, he was given the said vehicle which was to be returned within four days.

However, on May 21, 2004 at 2.45 pm, the said vehicle entered the NBC premises through a backyard door, carrying a group of robbers and bags. The robbers were allegedly armed with guns and knives.

The suspected bandits, wielding their weapons, entered the bank and made sure that they were behind the last customer on each cashier’s line, others went to the accountant and the manager while three went upstairs to intensify security.

After the bandits had overpowered the Bank employees, they ransacked the NBC and Bank of Tanzania (BoT) strong-rooms from where they grabbed 175,777,722/-, the property of NBC, Moshi Branch and 5,144,000,000/- which belonged to BoT.

They ordered the manager and some Bank employees to stuff the money into the bags and load the ill-gotten loot into the vehicle which was parked outside the Bank and left for Arusha and thereafter to other destinations.