Six G4S guards who lost Sh72m to gangsters detained

Six G4S guards, who lost Sh72 million to gangsters, appear before a Nairobi court on September 6, 2019. They have been detained for seven days. PHOTO | RICHARD MUNGUTI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • According to the police, the said money was destined for ATMs restocking within the city.
  • Police told the court that they needed more time to scrutinise their call data records as well as CCTV footage at the Nairobi West's Standard Chartered ATM.

Six G4S guards, who lost Sh72 million to thieves masquerading as police officers on Thursday morning, have been detained for seven days.

The six were transporting the money to Standard Chartered Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) in Nairobi West.

Chief Magistrate Martha Mutuku has ruled that Musa Rajab, Abraham Mwangi Njoroge, Ascar Kemunto, Wilfred Nyambane, Nathan Njiru and Danmark Magembe to be held for a week to allow police conclude their investigations.

TEN DAYS

The police had asked the court to detain the suspects for ten days but the magistrate argued that 10 days would be longer.

While pointing out that the six could be victims of circumstances, the magistrate said that both the defence and prosecution were in agreement that the suspects be detained as investigations continue.

“It is common ground that all parties herein want conclusive investigations to be done, what is to be determined is the period in which these persons are to be detained and I find that seven days is sufficient time," said Magistrate Mutuku.

According to the police, the said money was destined for ATMs restocking within the city.

The six had been assigned to restock the ATMs.

On September 5, at about 6am, three Administration Police officers who were escorting the G4S guards from their headquarters in Witu Road in Industrial Area, Nairobi, turned out to be robbers.  

ARRESTED

Court heard that the officers, who are yet to be arrested, took all the cash and bundled the six guards into a Standard Chartered ATM room in Nairobi West.

Police told the court that they needed more time to scrutinise their call data records as well as CCTV footage at the Nairobi West's Standard Chartered ATM.

Police also told court that the six had refused to show them their residences and were a flight risk.  

However, their lawyer told the court that the suspects do not have passports and cannot go out of the country.

CASH

The lawyer, who also asked the court to have the suspects’ residences searched, insisted that they be released from custody. The money was being transported from G4S headquarters in Industrial Area to Standard Chartered Nairobi West branch.

Part of the cash is believed to have been stolen when the G4S employees transporting the money prepared to remove it from the van to the bank while the rest of it was withdrawn from an ATM in Nairobi West.