FNB safety deposit boxes robbery accused accessed bank's information numerous times before robbery‚ court hears

One of the two men arrested in connection with the theft of safety deposit boxes at First National Bank had accessed the site information at the bank's Randburg branch more than 30 times before the theft.

This is according to Francois van der Westhuizen‚ an operations manager at Chubb Fire‚ whose affidavit was read out in court at the bail application of the men.

Norman Moeli and Maredi Letsoalo‚ aged 44‚ both former Chubb employees‚ are facing charges of conspiracy to commit housebreaking and theft at an FNB branch in Randburg.

"On 6 January I had a meeting with an FNB internal investigator after a positive burglary at the FNB main branch on 19 December 2016‚" Van der Westhuizen said in the affidavit.

• FNB safety deposit box theft suspects are security guardsThe two men in custody in connection with the theft of safety deposit boxes at First National Bank are security guards‚ according to the Hawks. 

"It was established that... [Letsoalo] accessed the FNB Randburg Main site information without any valid reason on 16 December 2016..."

Letsoalo accessed the site 14 times the next day and on December 19‚ 20 times‚ Van der Westhuizen said.

"After the break in was discovered‚ he never accessed the site again‚" the affidavit reads.

• Two suspects in court for FNB safety deposit boxes heistTwo men have appeared in the Randburg Magistrate's Court in connection with the theft of safety deposit boxes at First National Bank. 

Moeli and Letsoalo were arrested following the brazen theft of safety deposit boxes at FNB branches last year.

Thieves penetrated a vault at FNB Parktown on New Year’s Eve and took R1.7 million in cash and valuables from about 30 safety deposit boxes.

This followed a theft pulled off at the FNB branch in Randburg on December 18‚ when thieves made off with 360 safety deposit boxes after tying up the lone security guard on duty and then using a jackhammer to gain access.

Two days later‚ police found 252 of the boxes dumped in a field. They had been forced open and emptied of jewellery‚ Krugerrands and other valuables‚ with only documents left behind.

- TMG Digital