By: Audrey Raymonda John
Magistrate ISata Sellu Tucker of the Pademba Road Magistrate Court No.2 has remanded a banker, Admira Abdullah who was working at the Eco-Bank branch in Lunsar Marampa Chiefdom Port Loko District for allegedly embezzling two hundred million Leone (Le200,000,000).
Led in evidence by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Hawa Bah, prosecution witness (PW)2, James M. Samai attached to the Economic and Financial Fraud Unit (EFU) at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) headquarters on Pademba Road in Freetown said he recognised the accused and could recall 24 April 2020.
He said he was on said at the aforesaid unit at the CID headquarters on when he received distress call from Eco-Bank, adding he and Detective Sergeant Koroma N. M left for Ecobank at Charlotte Street in Freetown.
Mr Samai continued that upon their arrival and in his presence, when the accused was interrogated, she admitted to have misappropriated the said sum.
He said subsquently the accused was apprehend and conveyed to the CID headquarters on Pademba Road in Freetown for questioning.
The witness said statements were obtained from the complainant and witnesses and also submitted to him Eco-Bank savings and withdrawal slips, copy of administration statement made by the accused in the respect of the alleged fraudulent conversion.
They were produced and rendered to form part of the court’s records. He said account open mandate for customers’ documents was tendered in evidence.
On 24 April 2020, he went that he and Detective Segeant 9094 Koroma N.M obtained a voluntary caution statement from the accused, noting during the investigation, t the accused confessed to him that she had handed over one hundred million Leone to her fiance Sahr Bendo.
As a matter of fact, he said led to Goderich in search of the aforesaid individual, but he was nowhere to be found.
“My Lady due to the seriousness of the outbreak COVID-19 the accused was put on bail as requested by the bank,”he said.
He said from 26 and 28 September 2020 they obtained statement from the accused which she admitted it to be true and correct by appending her signature. The accused’s voluntary caution statement was tendered to form part of the court’s records.
On sometime in October 2020, he received an additional withdrawal slip.
The witness concluded his evidence that on 12 October 2022, charged the accused with six of embezzlement and four counts charges of larceny by servant contrary to the laws of Sierra Leone.
The accused’s charged statement was tendered in evidence.
During cross examination Defence Counsel M.B. Koroma he suggested to the witness that during the investigation, he reviewed several documents handed over to him by the bank, which he answered in the affirmative.
Lawyer Koroma put it to that among the documents handed over to him, there was internal investigation documentation done by the bank, which answered yes.
He put it to him that his client had been very much cooperative since the investigation commenced, which he answered in the affirmative.
The accused appeared before the court on six counts of embellishments and four counts charges of larceny by servant contrary to the laws of Sierra Leone.
It was alleged by the police that the accused, on 3 May 2019 and 28 May 2020 at Eco-Bank Lunsar Branch in Marampa Chiefdom Port Loko District embezzled two hundreds million Leones (Le200,000,000).
The accused was denied bail and remanded in prison and the matter was adjourned to 29th November 2022.