Police investigators have retrieved from a pit latrine part of the money taken in the P2 million heist of a security company vehicle that was on its way from Gaborone to Gantsi.
Last week on Wednesday, police investigators were led to a certain house in Gabane Village where they retrieved a plastic bag that had been thrown into a pit latrine and that contained cash, which turned out to be part of Bank Gaborone’s P2 million that was robbed from a Trojan security company.
It is alleged that the cash, estimated to be over P200 000, was thrown into the pit latrine in an attempt to hide it.
The Public Relations Officer of Botswana Police Service, Assistant Commissioner Christopher Mbulawa said “so far BPS has recovered over P1 million” but would not elaborate on the money recovered from the pit latrine.
Mbulawa said that police investigations are still ongoing even though some of the suspects are still at large.
On the other hand, the robbed security company says it is not pleased by the manner in which the police investigations are been conducted.
Ofemetse Sento, the Operations Manager of Trojan Security, said that “we are not pleased with the way the police are conducting their investigations”.
“First, we strongly believe that the suspects connived with some bank officials because there is no way in which the drivers would know the secret code of the safe unless the code is linked,” explained Sento.
He said there are standard procedures that are followed when or before money is transported from one place to the other but, in this case, a secret code had somehow been divulged and the police have yet to establish exactly who leaked the code to the suspects.
Sento said that, in addition to that, “before the money arrived in Gantsi, some bank officials already knew the code, which is very wrong and dangerous”.
“To my surprise, my five employees were detained as soon as the matter was reported and released the following day,” complained Sento. “But none of the bank officials were detained even today even though one of Trojan employees is among the arrested suspects.”
He further said their vehicle was still impounded by the police but the 4by4 vehicle that was used to block the road and which belongs to a police officer has been released to him.
He asked why the vehicle was released instead of impounding both vehicles.
Meanwhile, five suspects were arrested within 48 hours after the robbery and were dragged before the Molepolole Magistrate Court charged with two counts of armed robbery and motor vehicle theft.
Motlhatlhobi Magopi (33) is among the suspects who robbed Global Holdings, a case that is pending before the magistrate court.
He was, nevertheless, granted bail.
Okabetse Malope also has a pending case, while the other suspects, Brutas Mokgalo of Morwa and Gerald Zikhale of Bokaa Village are regular police “customers” involved in several armed robbery cases that are still before the magistrate courts.
Meshack Kangang, a security guard at Trojan security, is also among those being held.
The suspects are expected to appear before the court on the 6th of next month but they are remanded in custody till then.
