TWO armed men robbed City Trust Bank in Gualo Rai on Friday afternoon.
One of the suspects fired a gun inside the bank, witnesses told Variety.
The robbers, who wore ski-masks, fled with an undetermined amount of money during the two-minute heist.
The bank’s acting manager, Lou Johnson, yesterday said she could not comment due to the ongoing investigation.
“But I want to assure our customers that it’s business as usual at City Trust,” she said. “Their deposits with us remain safe. Due to the ongoing investigation, we’re not at liberty to disclose the amount stolen by the robbers, but here’s what I can say: the amount is insignificant and will not affect the bank’s operations.”
Variety learned that the two suspects entered the bank past 1 p.m., put on their masks and pulled out their guns.
The suspects demanded money from the vault, but a teller only handed the money in the counter.
One suspect then fired his gun, hitting either a table or a furniture, witnesses said.
The suspects then ran toward the back of J.E. Tenorio Building. City Trust is located on the ground floor of the building.
“I heard a gunshot. I thought it was just nothing. I then saw many people going out and police officers in the building,” said a witness who was working on the second floor of the building at the time.
Police officers rushed to the bank and scoured the vicinity of J.E. Tenorio Building, but they failed to locate the suspects.
The bank was temporarily closed as detectives sealed the vicinity and conducted their investigation. Bank officials then held a staff meeting.
Commonwealth Development Authority Chairman Juan S. Tenorio, owner of the building and one of the shareholders of City Trust, was seen talking to the staff during the meeting.
Tenorio said the suspects “managed to get some money.” He refused to elaborate.
According to Tenorio, it was the second bank robbery to happen in the CNMI. He said the first occurred in the 1980s in Chalan Kanoa involving a different bank.
City Trust, like other banks on the island, has no security guards during daytime.
