By Staff Reporter | ZimLive |
BULAWAYO – Security company Safeguard says it was not informed that it would be moving US$4 million by Ecobank before armed robbers seized the cash on a busy Bulawayo street on Thursday.
Police said Friday that investigations were in progress and no arrests had been made.
Safeguard said the sum of $4 million was well outside “the contracted limits for the movement of cash.”
Safeguard security guards travelling in one van had just picked up the money from the Ecobank branch at the NRZ Building with orders to deliver it to Harare.
The guards were in the process of loading the cash boxes into their van when a white single cab Ford Ranger pulled up and six armed men wearing face masks and bucket hats jumped out with guns drawn. The robbers quickly subdued the guards and seized the cash boxes.
Now Safeguard is raising the possibility that its insurers will not compensate Ecobank for any loss above the undisclosed limit which the two companies agreed on.
“We wish to remind all customers of their responsibility to work within their contracted limits… and to communicate clearly with us if a cash movement is to be out of the ordinary. This allows us to plan and approach the risks appropriately,” Safeguard CEO Andrew Mallon said in a statement.
He said a US$4 million move “obviously poses a significant risk” and was “well outside any contracted limits for Safeguard and almost certainly the security industry Africa wide.”
Mallon said a failure to communicate an unusual amount of cash being moved “places the safety of our staff, our security teams and your cash at considerable risk.”
On Friday, police said the robbery – the biggest cash heist in Zimbabwe’s history – was still under investigation.
“The ZRP is still conducting investigations in connection with the armed robbery incident which occurred in Bulawayo on October 3 at a local financial institution. The police dismisses social media messages indicating that the suspects have been arrested,” police spokesman Commissioner Paul Nyathi said.
“The police will certainly keep the public and media informed on the latest developments in relation to this case.”
So if it was within your limits it was not going to be stolen?
Ecobank management must be questioned thoroughly
Did they even look into the risks of transporting 4 million dollars for more than 400km in a van with limited security personnel
Someone higher in gvt is involved
Basebenzile abafana $4m , well done boys well done 👏
Vele isiyadingani mali eHarare
Mbavha idzi dziri right chaizvo havana kubira vanhu vari kutambura vakabira bank
saka vakabvumirei job riri outside their contract limits
Even if it was a dollar, musade kuchema nhema apo
Vakabatwa here ma robbers acho takaona mapic akatenderera zvichinzi vapfurwa vese vari6 along Plumtree road, nd then mamwe mapepanhau arikuti havasati vabatwa
So it was not really going to Harare. That was just the plan to get it out of the bank.
Who approved the pick up .
Surely pre approval is done prior to pick up .
I basa remukati iro ,
Bank charges are exorbitant
All sector's of guard hapana mutsvene, everyone is a suspect from within to outside
Hanzi munyika hamuna marii
The rest is history.the guyz are now planing big
Inside job, how did the robbers know about the money? Vanhu ngavarohwe apa kkkkkkk
Why the money was going to Harare for what ,4 million moving it with road ,one car
Inside job. How does insurance cover money outside limited amount to transport?
Arrest branch manager, arrest head of security in that CIT company, they have answers
Haaa mogona kunzi 4 million muchinyeperwa. 4 million yakabuda kudharakubank. This is just a back up story
So it was stolen coz yanga iri 4m?
A lot of questions remain unanswered on this scenario.
The robbery took place around 1530 hrs Banks close for business around 1530 hrs Saka mari yaiendwepi nayo mabank ava kuvhara. ? Normally Mari inotakurwa kuseni kuti ifambe kwakachena. Iyi yaida kuenda nayo kupi kuri safer than a bank iwo mabank avhara ?
So they just carry the money without verifying how much they will be carrying
Safeguard maybe right to say we were not informed.because l normal see them going to howmine l hope in a convoy and ZRP support unit will be in the security vans .this is just the manager's job how did the robbers know that by such time security will be picking cash
Does NRZ have such money???
Kubvunzawo hangu