By Our Reporter
MBALE
Thugs donning police uniforms have robbed a Chinese national of Shs71million he had just withdrawn from Stanbic Bank, Mbale branch.
The Chinese engineer attached to Chinese Railway Sevens Group, a company contracted to construct Kufu- Magale Road in Namisindwa District was robbed at broad daylight on Saturday, 29th April, 2023 in Lwoki Village, Bombobi Parish, Bumbobi Sub-County, Mbale District.
According to eyewitnesses, five robbers in police uniforms intercepted the Chinese official and his driver who were travelling in a Toyota Wish and picked a bag from the vehicle, before escaping through the Butaleja route.
“The victims claim when they reached at Bungokho Sub-county, the Chinese driver was stopped and ordered out of the car. The thugs continued with the Chinese [engineer] for some distance,” the Elgon regional police spokesperson Rogers Taitika said.
Taitika says the injured driver was rushed to Mbale General Clinic for medication, where he is currently admitted.
Police has also confirmed that one of the suspected robbers was lynched by a mob in Butaleja District after getting lost in a neighbourhood while another was arrested by police in his hideout.
Taitika identified the Chinese official as LI Tianbeng, 30, an assistant manager of China Railway Services Group.
“The robbers were travelling in a motor vehicle and they must have trailed them [Chinese] right from Stanbic Bank branch in Mbale Town. They intercepted them and ordered the Chinese to surrender all the money, which he did. The money was meant for the payment of workers,’’ he said.
“Preliminary findings show that there could have been connivance between some employees of the construction firm and the robbers,” Taitika added.
