Did security guard steal US$238 000 from Harare employer?

A SECURITY guard stands accused of being part of a gang of four robbers who stole US$238 000 from a company in Harare on Saturday night.

Owen Muteeri (28) reportedly received a   US$5 000 token from the robbers, which he was ordered to bury in a maize field, about 800 metres from the crime scene.

The robbers pounced at Online Logistics Sunway City Industrial Area in Epworth.

Muteeri appeared in court yesterday facing allegations of being part of the gang which stole the money from Online Logistics.

He appeared before Harare magistrate, Donald Ndirowei, who remanded him in custody pending bail application.

The State said Muteeri worked with accomplices, who are still at large, who helped him break into the offices he was guarding.

The robbers broke into the office of the managing director where they broke the safe and stole the huge amount of money,

Muteeri went on to make a false report claiming that he had been attacked by a four-man armed gang.

He further volunteered that he was given US$5000 by the gang who instructed him to bury the money in a maize field about 800 metres from the crime scene.

Muteeri led police officers where he had hidden the money and US$2 700 was recovered.

Ahead of Muteeri’s appearance in court, Harare provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Luckmore Chakanza, had told H-Metro about the circumstances surrounding the heist.

“Circumstances were that on Saturday, at around 2345 hours, a security guard was on duty when his dog started barking towards the precast wall and he went out of the guardroom to check.

“(He) saw an unknown male in the direction where the dog was barking.

“He was approached by two men from the other side of the guardroom and they pointed an unknown type of firearm at him.

“The security guard noticed that all the accused persons were wearing masks and they were all armed with unknown types of pistols and one of them was armed with an AK47 rifle.

“The accused persons then proceeded to the office buildings and disconnected the computer system.

“They proceeded to the Operations Manager’s office and then to the managing director’s Office where they broke the safe and stole cash amounting to US$238 000.”

state media