Two Bloom Bank Employees Remanded For Allegedly Stealing Le600,000

Magistrate Sahr Kekura of Pademba Road Court No.1 has on Monday 20th May 2024 ordered for Musa Joseph Sesay and Joshua Gbanyah, staff of Bloom Bank Sierra Leone Limited to be remanded at the Male Correctional Center in Freetown for Allegedly stealing over Le 600,000 from the said bank.

The accused persons were charged with 24 count of charges including Conspiracy, Larceny by Servant, Causing Money to be Paid by False Pretenses, Forgery and Altering a Forged Document.

According to the particular of offence, both accused persons on diverse dates between Monday 2nd January 2023 and 31st August 2023, at Bloom Bank Sierra Leone Limited at No.3 Rawdon Street, Freetown, with intent to defraud, conspired together with other person’s unknown and defrauded Bloom Bank Sierra Leone Limited the sum of Le 619,000.

Count two alleged that the first accused Musa Joseph Sesay on diverse dates between January and October 2023, at Bloom Bank Sierra Leone Limited being a staff employed by the Bank stole Le 619,000 being money meant for EDSA bill. It was also alleged on counts 12 to 22 that the second accused Joshua Gbanyah on diverse dates between October to November 2023, at Bloom Bank Sierra Leone Limited at No.3 Rawdon Street, Freetown, with intent to defraud unlawfully caused the said sum to be paid by Bloom Bank Sierra Leone Limited as EDSA bill to Tamba Pessima whom he presented to the said bank as EDSA Agent which is known to be false.

In count 23, it was alleged that the second accused Joshua Gbanyah on diverse dates between Monday 2 October and Thursday 30 November 2023 at Freetown, with intent to defraud, forged a College of Digital Excellence statement of result bearing the name Joshua Gbanyah dated 16 October 2023, with ID number 19364 purported to have been prepared and singed by the office of the Registrar C.O.D.E which is known to be false. Count 24 stated that the second accused Joshua Gbanyah on the same date at Bloom Bank Sierra Leone Limited, Freetown, with intent to defraud, uttered a College of Digital Excellence statement of result bearing the name Joshua Gbanyah dated 16 October 2023, with ID number 19364 purported to have been prepared and singed by the office of the Registrar C.O.D.E which is known to be false.

Former Ombudsman Leon Jenkins Johnston and Lawyer Charles Pujeli are defending the accused persons. Leon Jenkins Johnston applied for bail on behalf of the accused persons but his application was objected to by the prosecutor Inspector Mabel Tarawally.

Magistrate Kekura denied the accused persons bail and were remanded at the Male Correctional Center and the matter adjourned to Wednesday 22nd May 2024.