Three held over plot to rob Orient Bank
Aug 29, 2011
A UPDF soldier and two employees of Orient Bank Jinja branch suspected to have plotted to rob the bank have been arrested by the Rapid Response Unit (RRU) and the Police in Jinja district.
BY DOREEN MUSINGO
A UPDF soldier and two employees of Orient Bank Jinja branch suspected to have plotted to rob the bank have been arrested by the Rapid Response Unit (RRU) and the Police in Jinja district.
Barnet Turyamureba, the Busoga regional RRU chief, identified the bank staff as Darlin Nuwamanya, the bank’s eastern regional spokesperson and Abbey Mugerwa in charge of customer care.
The soldier was identified as Lt. Cpl. Norman Ssembatya attached to Masindi army barracks.
The trio had allegedly connived to rob sh3b from the bank on Thursday morning. The money was set for transportation to Orient Bank main branch in Kampala.
“The suspects’ planned to intercept the money as it was being carried out of the bank,†Turyamureba explained. He said the suspects were arrested at 8:30am after their ploy ended prematurely.
The south-eastern regional Police spokesperson, Samson Lubega, explained that on the fateful day, Nuwamanya reported to work very early with Ssembatya.
He said Ssembatya drove through the staff gate as Nuwamanya hid in the back seat of the car. Nuwamanya allegedly led the soldier into the bank toilet to hide.
He later went to the bank security guard and tricked him, saying the generator was being stolen.
Lubega said Nuwamanya’s plan was to disarm the guard and use his gun.
However, the deal hit a snag when a bank cleaner, Judith Nalwoga, went to clean the toilet and found Ssembatya hiding in there.
Lubega said Ssembatya allegedly tried to strangle Nalwoga, but she sounded an alarm which attracted clients, staff and security operatives.
He added that Ssembatya tried to flee, but was arrested near the Source of the Nile.
Upon arrest, he disclosed the names of his accomplices who included the bank officials and four other UPDF soldiers who fled the scene after the deal hit a snag.
The suspects were taken to the RRU offices in Nalufenya near Jinja for interrogation and later detained.
The bank manager, Francis Balagadde, was detained at Jinja Central Police Station after the trio said they were working on his directives. He was later granted bond.
A UPDF soldier and two employees of Orient Bank Jinja branch suspected to have plotted to rob the bank have been arrested by the Rapid Response Unit (RRU) and the Police in Jinja district.
Barnet Turyamureba, the Busoga regional RRU chief, identified the bank staff as Darlin Nuwamanya, the bank’s eastern regional spokesperson and Abbey Mugerwa in charge of customer care.
The soldier was identified as Lt. Cpl. Norman Ssembatya attached to Masindi army barracks.
The trio had allegedly connived to rob sh3b from the bank on Thursday morning. The money was set for transportation to Orient Bank main branch in Kampala.
“The suspects’ planned to intercept the money as it was being carried out of the bank,†Turyamureba explained. He said the suspects were arrested at 8:30am after their ploy ended prematurely.
The south-eastern regional Police spokesperson, Samson Lubega, explained that on the fateful day, Nuwamanya reported to work very early with Ssembatya.
He said Ssembatya drove through the staff gate as Nuwamanya hid in the back seat of the car. Nuwamanya allegedly led the soldier into the bank toilet to hide.
He later went to the bank security guard and tricked him, saying the generator was being stolen.
Lubega said Nuwamanya’s plan was to disarm the guard and use his gun.
However, the deal hit a snag when a bank cleaner, Judith Nalwoga, went to clean the toilet and found Ssembatya hiding in there.
Lubega said Ssembatya allegedly tried to strangle Nalwoga, but she sounded an alarm which attracted clients, staff and security operatives.
He added that Ssembatya tried to flee, but was arrested near the Source of the Nile.
Upon arrest, he disclosed the names of his accomplices who included the bank officials and four other UPDF soldiers who fled the scene after the deal hit a snag.
The suspects were taken to the RRU offices in Nalufenya near Jinja for interrogation and later detained.
The bank manager, Francis Balagadde, was detained at Jinja Central Police Station after the trio said they were working on his directives. He was later granted bond.