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A case that has raised serious concerns about internal accountability within Sierra Leone’s banking sector is currently before the Pademba Road Court No. 2, presided over by Magistrate John Manso Fornah.
The matter involves 39-year-old Ishmael Hortons Jalloh, formerly employed as a Card Operations Officer at Ecobank Sierra Leone Limited, who is being tried on allegations of orchestrating fraudulent financial transactions while entrusted with sensitive responsibilities at the bank.
According to testimony presented in court, Jalloh allegedly manipulated refund processes meant to return funds to rightful customers. Instead of channeling refunds correctly, investigators say he inserted unauthorized account numbers, resulting in significant financial losses for the institution.
Head of Internal Audit at Ecobank, Osman David Kamara, was the first witness called by Assistant Superintendent of Police Dialla Wellington. He explained that routine checks exposed irregular transactions that traced back to Jalloh. Among the flagged accounts were those operated by Vandi Kallon, Alhaji Rogers, and Isata Jalloh. Withdrawals from these accounts reportedly totaled more than Le 1.7 million, surpassing the initial Le 981,268.38 cited in the police charge sheet.
Kamara told the court that Jalloh’s role required him to process refund data from the bank’s switch team and credit the rightful customers, but instead, the system was allegedly exploited for personal gain. He confirmed that some suspects, including Kallon, had been arrested, but none of the diverted funds had yet been recovered.
The defense, led by lawyer J.B. Massaquio, argued for bail, citing Jalloh’s consistent cooperation with investigators and the availability of credible sureties. Magistrate Fornah allowed him to remain on bail under the same conditions previously set by the police.
The case, which underscores growing scrutiny of financial institutions’ safeguards against insider threats, has been adjourned to October 6, 2025, for further hearings.
