By Audrey Raymonda John
Finance Officer Nelson Lahay Conteh, employed by House of Electronics Enterprise, is accused of several financial crimes. It is alleged that Conteh opened a personal account at Commerce Mortgage Bank (CMB) and transferred over one billion Leones to that account, diverting funds meant for the House of Electronics Enterprise. After preliminary investigation at the Magistrate Court before Magistrate Santigie Bangura of Court No.2 on Pademba Road, Freetown, sufficient evidence was gathered to warrant Conteh’s trial in the High Court.
Magistrate Santigie Bangura committed the matter to the High Court, allowing Conteh to continue his trial while granting him bail in the sum of one billion Leones. Conteh faces charges on five counts: two counts of embezzlement contrary to Section 17 (1) (b) of the Larceny Act 1916, two counts of Money Laundering contrary to Section 15 (1) (a) of the Anti-Money Laundering and Combating of Financing of Terrorism Act 2012 Act No.2 of 2013, and one count of conspiracy to defraud contrary to law.
The charges detail Conteh’s alleged actions. Count 1 accuses Conteh of opening a fictitious account at Commerce Mortgage Bank (CMB) in Freetown between Tuesday 9 April 2019 and Friday 29 September 2023, with intent to defraud the House of Electronics Enterprise. Counts 2 and 3 accuse Conteh of embezzling sums of one billion nine hundred and six million eight hundred and twenty-five Leones fifty cents and seven hundred and forty-one thousand one hundred and ninety-seven Leones five cents, respectively, between specified dates in Freetown.
Counts 4 and 5 allege that Conteh illicitly converted the embezzled funds for the purchase of a parcel of land at Tokeh Village and a mobile phone (iPhone 15 Pro-Max), both properties of House of Electronics Enterprise.
Sergeant 9155 Dwight Macarthy is prosecuting the matter.
