Major changes expected at Barclays bank, Kenya office

Top global managers of the Barclays bank made a phone call to Nairobi expressing concerns over increasing criminal activities happening at their Kenya branch just few hours after a gang hacked ATMs at different branches in the country and made a way with a whooping sh. 11 million. The surprise phone call from the Barclays bank global headquarter in London was followed by a regional crises meeting that may see the sacking of Kenya branch CEO Jeremy Awori and a host of other senior staff members. Detectives in Kenya  are still tracing a deadly gang that hacked three automated teller machines (ATMs) belonging to Barclays Bank Kenya and made a way with a whooping sh. 11 million. According to police, Ksh.6.29 million was robbed from an ATM at Mutindwa area, Ksh.4.315 million at Kenyatta National Hospital and Ksh.1 million at Mater Hospital. A police report on the robberies, which happened over the weekend, indicated that the surveillance camera at Mater Hospital had been smeared with petroleum jelly to obstruct view. At Mutindwa area, police said they established that the ATM is not covered by CCTV cameras and is also not manned by any guard. According to police, the ATM at Kenyatta Hospital had been tampered with electronically and the money stolen.

Detectives arrest fake money suspects

The mind-blogging heist comes at a time the British multinational investment bank Kenya branch is still struggling to clear its name following a recent incident which sh. 2 billion fake currency were impounded kept in a safe deposit at their Queensway Branch in Nairobi. Prior to the event that shocked the nation investigators working on sh. 21 billion infamous dam scandal had traced part of the part of the cash wired from Italy to Barclays bank Westlands branch in Kenya. The dam scandal investigations has also paved way for a row between the Bank and  Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) over the seizure of cars linked to the construction of Itare dams. The lender through court papers has opposed the DCI’s bid to be enjoined in the suit where BBK seeks to freeze cars and equipment belonging to CMC di Ravenna — the Italian firm contracted to build the dams — for defaulting on Sh595 million loan. Barclays reckons that the 98 cars and equipment bought through its loans are jointly owned by CMC di Ravenna, the bankrupt Italian firm, and that the State has no claim on the luxury vehicles. But the DCI argues that the vehicles were purchased using public money and it should therefore be enjoined in the case. Apart from Awori other top managers under radar are Chief risk officer William Arogo, regional treasurer East Africa Antony Mulisa, human resource director Geneva Musau and director of corporate banking James Agin.