Lubango — Eight citizens who robbed at gunpoint Usd 1.2 million pertaining to the "Banco de Fomento Angola" (BFA) in southern Huila province in September 2004, were sentenced to prison terms ranging from nine to 21 years in jail.

The ruling passed by court judge, José Monteiro, sentenced Osvaldo Paulo Jorge to a 21 years jail term, plus an Akz 10,000 fine for robbery and murder, José Diogo to 20 years-and-a-half, plus Akz 10,000, Victor Carneiro Lopes, Wambinga Manuel, Bruno Lopes and Alexandre Brandão to nine years in jail and a fine of Akz 10,500 each.

Also sentenced were Elisabeth Ferreira and Jonny Baptista to jail terms of nine years, plus an Akz 14,500 of fine, while Jonny Tchobangue another member of the gang is at large.

Each of those sentenced are also to pay an additional fine of Akz 100,000 of justice fees, plus Akz 4,000 to the defence and a Usd 898,617 compensation to BFA. They are also to pay Akz 500,000 to the family of the security guard they killed in the robbery.

Of the Usd 1.2 million, the National Police retrieved more than Usd 300,000.

The robbery took place in 2004, when the vehicle carrying the money from the local airport to Lubango's main branch was held up by the criminals who shot dead the security guard inside the car.