|
10 suspects in NMB robbery named
2006-05-03 09:51:09
By Hannah Mwandoloma
Three soldiers of the Tanzania People’s Defence Forces are among suspects the police say are part of a criminal ring that has been terrorising the country.
Speaking to journalists in Dar es Salaam yesterday, the Director of Criminal Investigation, Robert Manumba, however, absolved, the army of any criminal acts, saying the culprits acted in their individual capacity.
During the press briefing, the DCI made public 10 names of people suspected to have been behind the 150m/- Ubungo junction robbery.
He said the 10 are already in police custody, three of whom are members of the Tanzania People’s Defence Force (TPDF).
The 10 are suspected to have stolen 150m/-, which belonged to the National Microfinance Bank (NMB) at gunpoint at the Morogoro and Mandela roads junction, at Ubungo on April 20.
The money was part of 1bn/- that was in transit from NMB Bank House in Dar es Salaam to its Wami branch in Morogoro.
Manumba said that, among the suspects, five were positively identified by eyewitnesses, one of whom was the police officer who was at the scene of crime.
The DCI gave the names of the TPDF who have been arrested as MT 77754 Private Nazareth Amulike (31), a resident of Shimo la Udongo; MT 18568 Staff Sergeant Mathew Elias Pallangyo (50), a resident of Ubungo and MT 76162 Lance Corporal Emanuel Lameck Harison (32), a resident of Sinza Palestina.
The others are Juma Nyundo (45), resident of Ubungo and Ally Omari Lumbilumbi (46) both drivers with NMB; Yasin Juma (47), a resident of Magomeni Kagera; Hamisi Mjaka (44), a resident of Mwanakwerekwe, Zanzibar; Simon Ephata Kaaya (43), a resident of Rokangazi Morogoro, a messenger with NMB Wami branch; Peter Mjata (44), a resident of Magomeni and a guard with NMB Bank House; and Juma Zuberi Mamba (33), a resident of Mbweni JKT.
’We’re conducting investigations with regard to the theft of NMB money and as of now we have arrested 10 people suspected to have been involved in the incident. Five people have already been identified and they will be arraigned in court this week,’ Manumba said.
Manumba said that right after the robbery, police launched a manhunt to bring the culprits to book.
To track down the suspects, he said, the police followed the trail of abandoned vehicles the gangsters had carjacked to secure their escape.
He identified one of the cars as a Toyota Surf bearing registration number T848 AHF.
The robbers carjacked the car at Tabata Matumbi from a driver identified as Doto Ally (32) and abandoned it at Ilala Goods Shed on Nyerere road.
Another car was abandoned near the Officers Mess at TPDF Mgulani Twalipo Camp.
Manumba said it was a Toyota Corolla registered as T761 AHG and driven by Saidi Athumani Dafi. It was carjacked on Nyerere road.
The DCI said the police found three submachine guns with 75 rounds of ammunition and one pistol in the second car.
The third abandoned car, was a Toyota Rav 4 driven by Daniel Michale, which was found at Kipunguni ’A’ near TPDF Airwing. It was carjacked at Tabata Relini near St Mary’s College, Manumba said.
He expressed gratitude to the public, which he said played a major role in tracking down and identifying the robbery suspects.
He said some members of the public had phoned the police, while others informed them through suggestion boxes.
’The public’s co-operation with the police was commendable. I’m very happy and thankful too. The majority of Tanzanians are innocent, so we should not cover up criminals,’ Manumba said.
|
