5 Barclays bankers in court over 122m/- theft

Daily News; Sunday,November 09, 2008

More than 122m/- owned by Principal Partner of FK Law Chambers, Advocate Kibuta Ongwamuhana and a Dar es Salaam businessman, Mr Mohabe Nyirabu, has been stolen from their accounts at the Barclays Bank Tanzania Limited. Already five officials of the bank have been taken to the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court in the city to answer charges of conspiracy, forgery and abetting another person to steal a total of the said amount.

Diderick Ishenda (27), Chiza Shungu (34), Athu Lulandala (24), Irine Maro (24) and Magila Chacha (30), all bankers, were arraigned before Resident Magistrate Neema Chusi on Friday and denied the charges. The magistrate granted them bail on conditions of securing two reliable sureties who could sign a bond of 20m/- each. However, the accused were remanded until November 20, for failure to meet the bail conditions.

Investigations into the case, according to the prosecution, have not been completed. It is alleged that between October 6 and 18, this year, in the city, the accused conspired to defraud the bank of 122,416.37 US dollars. The prosecution told the court that on September 30, this year, with intent to defraud, Ishenda and Shungu forged request for swift customer transfer form.

It is alleged that the duo purported to show that the form was genuinely sent to Eisomey Enterprises, Mombasa, Kenya on account number CA 2120002084 to transfer 27,694.45 US dollars, while it was false. On October 13, this year, Ishenda forged a similar form, purportedly showing that it was genuinely sent by the same company in same bank account to transfer 94,721 US dollars, while it was untrue.

The prosecution told the court further that Lulandala, Maro and Chacha, while at the bank, remained silent while they had knowledge that false entry had been made on account number 0017012215 of advocate Ongwamuhana for 27,694.45 US dollars. As a result the trio did not counter-check with the system to disclose the theft purposely to let the Eisomey Enterprises of Mombasa, Kenya proceed with stealing the said amount, the property of the bank. Furthermore, according to the prosecution, they committed a similar offence in respect of account number 0017003070 of Mr Nyirabu to allow the company to proceed stealing 94,721.92 US dollars.