By: Audrey Raymonda John
Twenty-seven-year-old Issa Sesay, a teacher, made another appearance before Magistrate Santigie Bangura of Pademba Road Court No.2 in Freetown on two counts of Larceny contrary to section 2 of the Larceny Act 1916.
According to the particulars of offense on dates between Friday 5th to 10th July 2024 at Magburaka Town Tonkolili, the northern province in Freetown, did steal the total sum of two million seven hundred and seventy thousand Leones (2,770,000) property of Union Trust Bank Sierra Leone Limited.
Count two further stated that on the same date and place, the accused person did steal the total sum of one hundred and thirty-five thousand sixty-six Leones twenty-six cents (135,066.00) property of Union Trust Bank Sierra Leone Limited.
When the charges were read and explained to the accused person, he pleaded not guilty.
Assistant Superintendent of Police Dialla Wellington led the prosecution witness number one, Augustine A Manga, a Banker. The witness said he is the Head of Compliance at Union Trust Bank Sierra Leone Limited. He ensures that the bank complies with regulations and internal policies. He knows the accused person as their customer. He recalls the 5th to 10th of July 2024.
On the 5th of July, the Bank granted the accused a facility called Union Trust Bank.
The witness said it is a facility given to customers that enables them to make payments to a third party without the customer going physically to the bank. The facility is linked to the customer’s main account, which allows the customer to debit his account and credit his wallet. The customer will be able to make payment to the third party. He will receive a code, which he takes to any of their agents, and the facility is linked to their main ledger in the bank.
On July 5, 2024, the accused successfully debited their general ledger and credited his mobile wallet. On July 6, 2024, he attempted to send the money to various customers for encasement, but the limit in the system of 5,000 he sent was unsuccessful then.
The following Monday, he debited his wallet and credited his Sierra Leone Commercial Bank account. The finance department downloaded the general ledger to see the movements made on that day. During the reconciliation, he realized that the accused had transferred a large amount of money from their system to the Sierra Leone Commercial Bank. They immediately alerted the Sierra Leone Commercial Bank and confirmed the accused’s movement of money. The Sierra Leone Commercial Bank and the Union Trust Bank decided that his accounts at both banks should be blocked.
On the 10th of July, 2023, the accused person debited their ledger and credited their wallet. He attempted to credit his account at the Sierra Leone Commercial Bank but couldn’t. They retrieved the money from him, which was le 2,000,000. He then filed a report to F.I.U, who wrote the Sierra Leone Commercial Bank, and the 2,770,00 he had transferred was instructed to be transferred Back to the Union Trust Bank. The witness said Sierra Leone Commercial Bank returned only 2,634,933,34,00 with an amount of 135,07,26,00, upon which they reported the matter to the Criminal Investigation Department Cid headquarters Pademba Road Freetown, he concluded.
Kamara Esq cross-examined the witness.
Meanwhile, Magistrate Bangura refused bail and sent the accused to the male correctional facility in Freetown. The matter was adjourned to November 28th, 2024.