The Blantyre Senior Resident Magistrate Court has jailed a Standard Bank teller and his fiancee for stealing K10 million.
The bank teller has been handed a 7-year jail term while his fiancée has been sentenced to 5 years imprisonment with hard labour.
Confirming the development was Blantyre police publicist Sub Inspector Augustus Nkhwazi who identified the teller as Yohane Makowa Banda and his girlfriend Sibongile Beni.
Sub Inspector Nkhwazi said Makowa Banda was working with Blantyre Standard Bank as a teller until July 28, 2018 when he stopped reporting for duties after withdrawing K10 million from a MRA domiciled account number 9100003153123 held at the bank.
Blantyre Standard Bank Manager Joseph Moyo told police that several efforts were made to follow up on why Banda was not reporting for his assigned duty but to no avail.
The bank manager told the police that a check on the bank’s security cameras (CCTV) over Banda’s last transaction, revealed that he had posted five transactions of K2,000,000 each from MRA account which his girlfriend cashed and was shown counting within the banking hall.
It is reported that the matter was later reported to Police who launched investigations which saw the two being arrested by the police in Salima on September 18, 2018 where they were hiding in a rented house.
Police in Blantyre charged Yohane Banda with Theft by Servant contravening the penal code and money laundering which is contrary to Financial Crimes Act of 2017 while his girlfriend was charged with money laundering.
They both pleaded not guilty to the charges. However, the court found the two guilty after a successful trial this week.
Passing the sentence, Her worship Senior Resident Magistrate Chapita Banda sentenced Banda to seven years imprisonment with hard labour for theft by servant and another seven years for money laundering which will run concurrently.
Sibongile Beni was sentenced to five years imprisonment with hard for money laundering.
Meanwhile, a motor vehicle a Toyota Sienta saloon which the two purchased with stolen cash has been forfeited by the court and soon the court will make an order whether to surrender the vehicle to Standard Bank or Malawi government.
Yohane Makowa Banda hails from Yapa village, Traditional Authority Mkanda in Mulanje while Sibongile Beni hails from Kasiya village Traditional Authority Khongoni in Lilongwe.
