Alleged 14 Billion Leones Missing from First International Bank; 6 Former Staffers Arraigned in Court

April 15, 2021

By: Francis F.M.Harding

Former workers of First International Bank now the Vista Bank, Alfred Aiah Saquee Kamanda and five others appeared before Magistrate Mark Ngegba on the 14^th April, 2021 at the Pademba Road Court in Freetown in an alleged case ranging from Larceny by Servant to Larceny contrary to the Laws of Sierra Leone.

The particulars of offence states that: on the 24^th January, 2014, the accused persons at the First International Bank now the Vista Bank allegedly stolen from the said bank the sum of Thirty-Six Million Leones (Le 36,000,000/00) which was credited to Account Number 102-067-404-01 with account name George Yammah being a servant or employee at the First International Bank now the Vista Bank. However, the said bank suspected the incident to have taken place between 2014-2018, and that the total missing monies was amounted to over 14 billion Leones, according to the Police charged sheet read in court.

After reading the one hundred and nineteen counts charges against the accused persons, they all pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Musa Bitter represented the State, while Lawyer A.Kargbo and E.T.Lassayo representing the First accused person, C Campbell and N.Macauley representing the second a accused person, M .Lasaayo for the third and fourth accused persons, M.J.M Sesay,F. and Robin Taylor, K.Kamara for the fifth accused person and D.E.Taylor and E. Nicol-Pratt for the sixth accused person.

Magistrate adjourned the matter to the 20^th April, 2021 for next hearing.