Kenyan to be extradited over Sh23m heist at Tanzanian Bank

A Kenyan accused of stealing Sh23 million from a Tanzanian bank 14 years ago has been extradited to face robbery with violence charges in Tanzania.

Patrick Ayisi Ingoi was extradited after the Court of Appeal dismissed his appeal against the High Court orders.

The appeal was dismissed by Justices Philip Waki, Roselyne Nambuye and Patrick Kiage who ordered that he be taken to Tanzania to face the trial.

“The suspect should be handed over to Tanzanian authorities so that he can face the charges,” the panel ruled.

The robbery was allegedly committed at the National Bank of Tanzania in Moshi at gun point on May 21, 2004.

Ingoi, who was in court at the time of the ruling, was arrested after the pronouncement of the judgement and taken to Kilimani Police Station awaiting extradition to Tanzania.

Ingoi and fugitive Wilfred Onyango Nganyi were among the suspects accused of the robbery together with some Tanzanians.

An affidavit sworn by police officer Annest Sakwa paints a picture of the daring crime that Ingoi has been accused of.

According to the document, Ingoi, together with another at large, attacked a bank in Tanzania and ordered all the employees to lie down.

They proceeded to the desk of the bank's branch manager and forced him to open the door to the vault where the money was. The accused and his colleagues are believed to have taken Tsh5 billion (approximately Sh220 million) from the manager's office and the teller boxes.

Ingoi, then aged 39, was a businessman who resided at Jacaranda Estate, Nairobi.

Soon after the incident, he was arrested by the Kenyan police who recovered Tsh171 million, Sh170,000 and USD75,000 from his house.

"When interrogated he could not account of the money," Sakwa said.

Upon request of the Tanzanian Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Sakwa said they applied for a warrant of arrest against the suspect in Kenya which was issued. Ingoi was aggrieved by the decision by the court to issue warrant of arrest and to order that he be extradited. Through lawyer Karathe Wandugi, he appealed.