Standard Bank robbery suspect hits out at police
A former Standard Bank employee suspected of aiding a K500 million heist in Mzuzu has accused the police of favouring a suspect and demanding K50 000 for bail.
Charles Moffat, who was a custodian of an auto-teller machine (ATM) at the bank’s branch in Mzuzu, appeared in court yesterday.
The suspect is on trial together with other bank employees, interdicted police officer Ken Kamwambi and Amos Jere, who was guarding the bank when robbers stole the cash belonging to Reserve Bank of Malawi.
All suspects, except Moffat, Jere and Kamwambi, walked free to become witnesses.
Yesterday, Moffat shocked first grade magistrate Cuthbert Phiri when he alleged that during their incarceration, police officers allowed Standard Bank employee Willie Kalua to leave the cell and “go to eat and bathe at home”.
“Kalua was being picked in the morning and brought back in the evening while we were languishing in the cells,” he said.
He wondered if the police released their co-accused after receiving kickbacks for bail which is supposed to be free.
“Jere and I did not pay the K50 000. We remained in the cell,” he said.
He also asked prosecutor Jacob Nambiri to surrender all CCTV footage, not selected parts likely to implicate him.
The magistrate ordered Nambiri to investigate the allegations that Kalua was free to leave the cell.
“I will need a report and I am serious about it,” he said.
Nambiri asked for more time to consult police officers on what really transpired.n
