By: Audrey Raymonda John
A 44-year-old entrepreneur, Bob Sebastian Peterson, has been granted bail by Magistrate John Manso Fornah of Pademba Road Court No. 2 after appearing before the court on two charges relating to an alleged gold fraud.
Peterson is charged with obtaining money by false pretences, contrary to Section 32(1) of the Larceny Act of 1916, and fraudulent conversion, contrary to Section 20(1)(iv)(a) of the same Act.
According to the prosecution, on 13 December 2024 at Zenith Bank on Rawdon Street in Freetown, the defendant allegedly obtained US$55,000, equivalent to NLe1,303,500, from Derrick Charles Bulls by falsely claiming that he had one kilogram of gold for sale and would export it from Sierra Leone to the United States of America, knowing the representation to be false.
The second count alleges that, on the same date and at the same location, Peterson fraudulently converted the US$55,000 to his own use after allegedly making the same false representation regarding the sale and export of one kilogram of gold.
When the charges were read and explained to the defendant, no plea was taken because the matter is before the court for committal proceedings.
The prosecution informed the court that the case file and inquiry file had been served on the defendant during his first appearance.
Defence counsel, S.M. Gomeh, renewed and adopted his previous application for bail on behalf of the defendant.
After considering the application, Magistrate Fornah granted the defendant bail in the sum of NLe1.5 million, with one surety in a like amount.
The court ordered that the surety must be a responsible senior citizen residing in Freetown with a fixed address, be gainfully employed with proof of employment, and produce a valid national identity card together with an official employment identification card. The bail conditions are subject to the approval of the Deputy Assistant Registrar.
The matter was adjourned to 6 July 2026 for further proceedings.