Police Change Tune on Bank Heist

Police have rubbished claims that they participated in a bank heist that happened in Machakos on Wednesday, October 8.

Nairobi News reported on Thursday, October 10, that the alleged heist did not involve police officers, contrary to reports in the media.

Machakos County Commissioner Karanja Muiruri stated that the heist was wrongly blamed on his officers who were found at the scene.

A man ready to insert a card in an ATM machine. Photo: The Standard.

"The security guards at the bank called their manager who then contacted the OCS with a response team that reacted swiftly," Karanja disclosed.

He mentioned that upon arrival, the team found five male adults; two of them prison warders, two from the Administration Police and one from Kenya police.

"I can attest that after interrogating the officers, it was concluded that the officers had come to help their relatives due to the ongoing recruitment of prison warders," Karanja narrated.

"The bank management and citizens in the area have not complained. Anyone who has a complaint can forward it to us for investigation," Karanja added.

He concluded that the officers were not in uniform which could have been a factor in their arrest.

Citizen Digital had reported that five police officers were on Wednesday, October 9, apprehended in the middle of a bank heist in Machakos County.

The culprits were found hurriedly draining an ATM after some crafty engineering to pry it open.

The media house added that they were found in possession of Ksh 268,000 in cash at the scene of the crime. 

"Upon conducting a search, Ksh 100,000 was recovered from the motor vehicle's dashboard and another Ksh 168,600 from Julius Mwalili, which had been hidden inside his socks and failed to account for. Also recovered was one prisons beret,” published Citizen Digital.

A local guard reportedly raised the alarm after he saw the officers ransacking the machine.

The five were identified as Corporals Richard Wambua (Kahuro Police Station in Murang’a), Administration Police Constable (APC) Boniface Wambua (Rapid Deployment Unit in Nairobi and currently attached at RDU Mau), APC Cyprian Odundo (based in Machakos), prison warder Julius Mwalili (attached to Prisons Headquarters) and prison warder Musyoki Mutua (attached to Prisons Regional Commander Nairobi).

A vandalized ATM machine. Photo: File.

 

 

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