Robbery incidents such as the K6 million May Bank robbery do not reflect well on the banks and security companies involved, the Waigani National Court was told today.
And a concerted effort by these two bodies is needed to assure customers that their monies are safe.
Criminal court judge, Panuel Mogish made these remarks today when sentencing Thomas Karo, a man who received stolen properties of K322,660 as his share for transporting part of the proceeds from the robbery to five years in jail.
He said the management of the two agencies involved in what he described as “the biggest robbery in the country” calls for an immediate review of its processes to avoid future mishaps.
“This case involved one of the major companies in the country. Offenses of this kind also reflect on bank customers becoming increasingly uneasy about the safety of their money in the banks or whilst on transit to and from the bank despite the presence of heavy armed security guards.
“These days there are so many security companies operating in the country and it’s often difficult to appraise the effectiveness of these companies until an offense is committed which immediately puts those companies under a spot light,” the judge added.
Justice Mogish went on to say that the Courts have a duty to impose stern punishment to reflect the gravity of the offense and such punishment would assure the public that those who receive stolen monies from bank robberies will be dealt with as a matter of personal and general deterrence.