Bank Teller, Accomplice in Cooler over K10 Million Theft

Police in Salima are keeping in custody two people for being suspected to have stolen K10 million from Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) Standard Bank customers’ account.

Police have confirmed the arrest of the two suspects who have been identified as Yohane Makuwa, 37 from Yapa Village Traditional Authority Nkanda in Mchinji who was working as a bank teller at Standard Bank in Blantyre and Sibongile Ben from Kasiya in Traditional Authority Khongoni in Lilongwe District.

Salima Police Senior Public Relations Officer Sergeant Jacob Khembo said the money was stolen on July 28 after Makuwa connived with Ben who withdrew K10 million from the MRA account.

After getting the money from MRA account, the two were at large and the police was looking for them.

“Fiscal police in Blantyre started hunting the two on July 30, 2018 when the matter was reported to police by the bank manager, Joseph Moyo, but they (police) could not trace them until it was realized that they had moved to Salima and they notified our office,’’ said Khembo.

He added that the K10 million was withdrawn five times.

Each time they were withdrawing two million Kwacha and after that, Makuwa did not show up at work and moved out of Blantyre – that is when the bank manager reported the matter to police.

“Police traced Makuwa through the number of his accomplice as his number could not be traced. They were both arrested at Kamuzu road in Salima,’’ added Khembo.

Makuwa and Ben are expected to answer charges of theft by servant and theft respectively.