A former bank manager who masterminded a robbery at her workplace alonside her ex-husband has been sentenced to 15 years behind bars.
Carmen Kolbee was branch manager at Standard Bank in Kuils River and the team leader at Zevenwacht Mall at the time of her arrest in 2016.
Kolbee, along with her ex-hubby Kensley Kolbee and three others, had robbed the bank of R520 000 on 1 November 2014.
At the time of the robbery, they were divorced but were living together in Blackheath.
The group were arrested by the Hawks two years after the robbery.
The theft of computer equipment and cellphones during the robbery had given cops an indication that it was in fact an “inside job.”
On Friday, the former couple were each sentenced to 15 years in jail for their role in the heist.
Eric Ntabazalila, provincial spokesman for the National Prosecuting Authority, said: “I can confirm they were sentenced to 15 years imprisonment each on Friday.”
The couple, dubbed Bonnie and Clyde, were convicted in July at the Blue Down’s Regional Court, eight years after the robbery.
The State proved that Carmen Kolbee had been the mastermind behind the heist and that the group had planned to steal R3 million from the bank, but only managed to get away with R520 000.
It had been Kensley’s job to recruit three others, namely Ebrahim Isaacs, Samoska Hattes and Leroy Ackerman, to help them with the robbery.
The trio entered into a plea and sentence agreement soon after being charged and were sentenced to five years in jail.
Ntabazalila confirmed the trio had entered into the plea agreement in exchange for testifying against the couple.
The couple had pleaded not guilty to the charge of bank robbery.
But the State managed to build a solid case against the group after two of the accused turned State witnesses.
A relative of the bank-robbing couple who asked not to be named said they were relieved that the case was finally over.
The family member says: “We are satisfied that they were sentenced, but we were not sure if it was 15 years imprisonment for each and to which prisons they were being sent.