Francess Lawson, the Branch Manager at the Makeni clock Tower branch of LAPO Microfinance, a local micro-finance institution, appeared before Magistrate Sahr Kekura at the Pademba Road Court No.1 on Monday, November 29, 2024. Lawson faces four charges, including conspiracy to defraud, embezzlement, forgery of documents, and altering documents.

The prosecution alleges that the 27-year-old Ms. Lawson conspired with unknown persons between April 1 and August 31, 2023, with the intention to defraud LAPO Microfinance Sierra Leone Limited. The embezzlement involved an amount of One Hundred and Four Thousand Four Hundred and Sixteen New Leones (NLe 104,416), the property of LAPO.

Court documents reveal that Lawson embezzled funds received on behalf of Alpha Amadu Jalloh. Additionally, she is accused of forging and altering a LAPO Microfinance Loan Application form dated December 1, 2021, falsely claiming it was prepared and signed by Aminata Jalloh.

Sulaiman Jalloh, the head of the Loan Recovery Unit at LAPO, testified on Monday that, after receiving an internal audit report of Lawson’s branch on July 28, 2023, he reported the matter to the Sierra Leone Police for investigation.

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Despite a bail application by her lawyer, Magistrate Kekura refused bail, citing the seriousness of the charges and the fees for the audit. The case is set to resume on February 2, 2024, marking a pivotal moment in the unfolding LAPO Microfinance scandal in Sierra Leone.