Magistrate Santigie Bangura of Pademba Road Court No. 2 has announced his intention to closely examine media publication regarding the ongoing alleged fraud case against three government officials.

The accused individuals, Michael Forbie, Director of Estates at State House; Zaino Deen Karim, Director of Finance at Petroleum Directorates; and Williams Forbie, a former Salcab engineer, face charges of fraudulent conversion related to a fiber optic project investment. They allegedly obtained forty-six million old Leone and a Nissan vehicle from Daniel Sellu for the purported investment in a fiber optic project for profit.

The magistrate’s decision comes in response to concerns raised by the defense counsel, Emmanuel Saffa Abdulai, who pointed out potential biases in media reports characterizing the case as fraud, despite the absence of explicit fraud charges in the legal documents.

Charles Williams, the lawyer representing the complainant, Daniel Sellu, argued that the charge of fraudulent conversion inherently implies a fraud-related matter.

In light of these contentions, Magistrate Bangura has requested submission of relevant papers for review to ascertain if there is contempt in the media’s coverage.

The defendants, currently on bail, are scheduled to continue facing the charges on February 19, 2024, while the court endeavors to maintain fairness and address potential media biases in its pursuit of justice.