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Armed gangsters rob drinks firm of 33m/-
2006-05-09 09:13:07
By Emmanuel Chacha, Mwanza
Two armed gangsters robbed Nyanza Bottling Company Limited of 32.9m/- yesterday morning in an ambush during which a security guard was injured.
In the incident that lasted about 10 minutes, one guard was hit by a bullet that grazed his right hand, but the resultant injury was not serious.
NBCL managing director, Christopher Gachuma, told The Guardian, the robbers entered the factory at around 9am posing as customers.
They then proceeded to the cash office where they took the cashier, Margareth Minja, hostage.
’When they left the office, the cashier shouted to inform people outside that she had been robbed of money. The guard manning the gate was shot in the right arm as he attempted to stop the thugs from leaving the premises in response to the cashier’s distress call,’ Gachuma said.
He identified the injured guard as Felician Peter. He said that each of the gangsters had a firearm.
The guard was admitted to Sekou Toure Regional Hospital, where he was treated and discharged.
Eyewitnesses said, when the gangsters entered the factory premises, workers and guards at the main entrance thought they were part of the regular workforce or casual labourers.
’You know the factory has many workers and casual labourers. At the time they arrived, it was raining so it was easy to disguise themselves as workers arriving for duty,’ an eyewitness who preferred anonymity, said.
She added: ’When they entered the cash office, they ordered the cashier to give them the keys to the safe where money is kept.
They didn’t go to the manager’s office. They only took the money that was in the cashier’s safe.
Had they gone to the manager’s office as they had initially intended, they would have been arrested.’
The eyewitnesses said that, after stealing the money the thugs took off in a saloon car that they had parked on the Mwanza-Musoma Road.
The car was later found abandoned at Igoma on the outskirts of Mwanza town.
Reliable sources said the stolen amount was part of Sunday’s sales.
’I think the stolen money was part of Sunday’s sales because I had heard that Saturday collections had already been counted and kept in a safe that was not touched,’ the source said.
Gachuma said the theft was the first such incident at the factory.
Mwanza Regional Police Commander Zelothe Stephen confirmed the incident, but said he did not have details of the incident as he was out of town.
RCO Lucas Ngoboko declined to comment on the incident when reached for comment.
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