4 Arrested In Botched Housing Finance Bank Robbery

Police in Mbale are holding four suspected robbers in an operation that thwarted a robbery on Housing Finance Bank, Mbale Branch on Saturday morning.

 

Diana Nandawula, the Elgon Regional Police Spokesperson identified the suspects as 35-year-old Godfrey Waniala, a resident of Namakwekwe in Mbale, Ivan Sempa, a resident of Kanyanya, a Kampala Suburb, 33-year-old Siwaib Munyanga a resident of Butaleja and Mike Nadanga a resident of Nsambyia in Kampala.

 

According to Nandawula, they were five men in number traveling in a Toyota Corola, grey in color, registration number UAQ 207 V when they parked at the parking lot near the entrance of the Bank.

 

She said two of them entered inside the Bank while two others came and stood outside the entrance of the bank and the designated driver waiting at the wheel.

 

She said intelligence had already reached the police and they were trailing them.  Nandawula said the Bank management were already informed and alerted the private security guards at the bank.

 

She said as soon as the two entered the bank, a private security guard approached them with intention of arresting them but they fled outside and entered their car and started driving off in terrible speed.

 

Police officers in plain clothes that had already surrounded the bank shot out the back tyres of their getaway car forcing them to stop. One of the suspects whose identity was not established however escaped.

 

Police immediately sealed off the scene of the crime with a tape before the suspects were dragged out of their car and taken to Mbale Central Police Station together with the car.

 

The incident that occurred at about 10:30am paralyzed business around the area along the Mbale main street (Republic Street) considered a bank lane as many shops including the banks around the area closed for hours before they reopened.

 

The banks that closed within the same area include Centenary Bank, DFCU, Barclays, Crane and Post Banks among others.