By Vincent Khonje
Kasungu, October 29, Mana: Business came to a standstill on Friday in Kasungu after irate people wanted to attack shops belonging to foreigners, especially Burundians, after news broke out that one of the suspects in a robbery at Standard Bank- Kasungu Branch is a foreigner.
Standard Bank- Kasungu Branch was robbed on Thursday morning and about K31 million was stolen. During the robbery, a security guard identified as Redson Banda, 60, was killed.
Kasungu Police Public Relations Officer, Joseph Kachikho told the media that the robbers managed to disable closed circuit television (CCTV) before robbing the bank.
“The robbers tied the guard before breaking into the bank. They went away with K31, 640, 000 and in the process killed the security guard,” said Kachikho.
Infuriated by the death of the guard, the people took matters in their own hands trying to attack the foreigners’ shops in revenge for the murder.
In order to calm the situation, the police fired tear gas to disperse the angry people.
Kasungu main town and Chayamba Turn-Off were the hotspots where people gathered to attack the foreigners’ businesses.
By Friday noon, calm was restored.
Meanwhile, three men identified as Brian Maulana, Samson Daud and Chikondi Alisesiyo are in police custody at Kasungu Police Station in connection with the robbing and killing of the guard.
Two other suspects are reported to be at large.
According to Kachikho, at around 5 o’clock in the morning of Friday, a motor vehicle registration number BV 826 Honda Freed had an accident in Dowa and the first to arrive at the scene was a watchman from Dowa District Hospital who found the driver unconscious.
“When the driver gained consciousness he gave the watchman cash amounting to K60, 000 to find people to help take out the vehicle from a drain while he took a motorcycle kabanza, saying he was going to police to report the accident,” said Kachikho.
Kachikho added that later, the first and second suspects arrived at the scene, claiming they are friends with the driver, but the watchman, being suspicious, connected their issue with the Kasungu bank robbery and tipped the police who rushed to the scene and arrested the two.
A team of investigators from Kasungu rushed to Dowa after checking the vehicle they found had one grinder and cutting disk that corresponded to the cutting disk found at the scene in Kasungu.
When the first suspect, Maulana, was asked about the Kasungu Standard bank robbery, he admitted responsibility and said they connived with Alisesiyo, a guard with a private security firm called UK Security.
According to Kachikho, investigations are still underway to arrest the other two suspects.
The arrested suspects will appear before the court soon to answer charges levelled against them.
Maulana, 38, hails from Chabwera Village, Traditional Authority Liwonde in Balaka, Daudi, 32, is from Mmemo Village, Traditional Authority Makwangwala in Ntcheu and Alisesiyo, 28, hails from Mbeta Village in Traditional Authority Mwase in Kasungu.
