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Six individuals, including students and businessmen, have been remanded in custody for their alleged involvement in a conspiracy to defraud Best New Bank Company of NLe 5,890,363.
The accused, identified as Sheku Kamara (alias Publish), Saio Foday Jalloh, Ansumana Marrah, Samuel Mansaray, and Mohamed Musa Kamara, appeared before Magistrate Santigie Bangura at the Pademba Road Court No. 2 in Freetown on October 31, 2024.
According to the prosecution, between January and April 2024, the accused conspired in Makeni, Bombali Shebora Chiefdom, in the Northern Province, to carry out fraudulent activities aimed at siphoning substantial amounts of money from the bank.
The Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Joan Bull, leading the prosecution, presented evidence from witness Alpha Jalloh, an employee of Maintenance Company PNB. Jalloh testified that the accused individuals were linked to fraudulent transactions that flagged irregularities in the bank’s compliance department.
Jalloh recounted that on April 17, 2024, the compliance department identified suspicious transactions involving codes used by the accused to withdraw money from Vista and UTB banks. According to Jalloh, the accused would cancel these transactions after collecting the money, resulting in funds being fraudulently refunded to them.
The matter was reported to the police after an internal investigation led management to travel to Makeni, where many of the fraudulent activities were traced. Despite efforts by defense counsel M.K. Koroma to secure bail for the accused, citing their status as students and Sierra Leoneans with reliable sureties, Magistrate Bangura denied the application.
The magistrate expressed concerns about the logistical difficulties in granting bail to individuals residing outside Freetown, particularly given the severity of the case.
As a result, all six accused were remanded to the Male Correctional Facility, with the case adjourned to November 5, 2024, for further proceedings.
The investigation continues, as authorities seek to uncover more details surrounding the conspiracy and any additional accomplices.
