Successful bank robbery cases have been on the rise and one is left wondering how such is achieved with the high security in banks.Two bank employees have revealed how such theft goes on after they shut down security cameras before Sh21 million was stolen from the strong room.
The Kenya Commercial Bank Wundanyi branch manager, Zachary Onyango Okoth, told the court that the bank’s assistant operations manager, Peter Efrod Ngoda, and back office clerk, Benedict Kituku Mativo, who managed a set of keys to the vault, interfered with the CCTV system. Mr. Okoth testified that Mativo was appointed to manage the safe in the absence of the compliance manager.
He was testifying in a theft case facing two bank employees and a security guard. The security guard, Mwamto Mghanga, has also been charged with neglecting to prevent the theft. He is also facing an alternative charge of knowing that the first and second accused designed to steal and failing to use all reasonable means to prevent the theft.
The suspects were charged that , they jointly stole Sh21,060,000 at KCB Wundanyi branch in Wundanyi town , which came into their possession by virtue of their employment. The manager told the court that Mativo was captured disconnecting the CCTV while holding the bank vault keys. The CCTV revealed that the second accused opened the door to the first accused to exit. The cameras captured the person disconnecting it and it later went blank.
Defense lawyers Duncan Mwanyumba, Kevin Muchiri and Shedrack Mwinzi told Wundanyi Senior Resident Magistrate, David Ndungi that they had not been supplied with the CCTV footage for verification; ”The prosecution has not provided us with the CCTV images. The prosecution witness statement did not show the review of the footage.” The prosecution, led by Jethron Okumu, told the court that the CCTV images could only be provided by an expert who was on official duty.
The hearing will resume on March 19.