July 28, 2021
By: Francis F.M.Harding
The accused persons Stephen Yayah Mansaray, former Master and Registrar of the High Court of Sierra Leone; Richie Edwin Asgil, former Principal Accountant in the Judiciary; Adele Faya, former Account Clerk of the Judiciary; and Clarence Solomon Will, a Legal Assistant at a Law Firm in Freetown appeared before Justice Simeon Allieu at the High Court in Freetown on the 27th July, 2021.
The accused persons are charged with eighteen counts charges ranging from misappropriation of public funds, contrary to section 36 (1); and Conspiracy to commit a Corruption Offence, contrary to section 128 (1) of the Anti-Corruption Act No.12 of 2008.
According to Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) charge sheets, Stephen Yayah Mansaray and Richie Edwin Asgil were the signatories to the Judiciary’s Master and Registrar’s account domiciled at the Bank of Sierra Leone. On diverse dates, between June, 2014 and May, 2018, both accused person, conspired with others to sign a number of cheques through which they authorized the withdrawal of funds from the aforementioned account for their personal benefit or for other unjustified purposes.
Similarly, Adele Faya former Account Clerk of the Judiciary, also instructed the encashment of various cheques from the same account, and misappropriated these monies. Clarence Solomon Will, a Legal Assistant at Bah & Co, a law firm in Freetown, on diverse dates between 25th April, 2018 and the 14th March, 2019 conspired with unknown persons, to misappropriate public funds by illegally facilitating the encashment of cheques from the Judiciary’s account. The four accused persons misappropriated the total sum four hundred and sixty million, two hundred and sixty-eight thousand, and two hundred Leones (Le460, 268,200/00) from the Judiciary’s Master & Registrar account at the Bank Of Sierra Leone.
Following the closure of the State Prosecutor case after leading in evidence a total of nine (9) witnesses, the accused persons through their respective lawyers with the absent of the fourth accused person`s lawyer said that their client is ready to testify and to bring witnesses to testify in court. With the exception of the firs accused person Stephen Yayah Mansaray who relies on the entirety of the evidence given before the court.
Lawyer for the second accused Lawyer Nylanda said that his client is ready to testify and he will call at least two witnesses to testify in this matter. Lawyer for the third accused person Winstina Kamara said her client will be ready to testify and she will call at least one witnesses to testify. For the fourth accused person his lawyer was absent in court. Justice Allieu said he wrote a letter to the court that he has accompanied his wife to Ghana. Justice Allieu said he will give the fourth accused person one more chance for him to communicate to his lawyer in Ghana before the next adjourned date.
It could be recalled that the ACC indicted the above accused persons on the 23rd September, 2019 for misappropriation of public funds, contrary to section 36 (1); and Conspiracy to commit a Corruption Offence, contrary to section 128 (1) of the Anti-Corruption Act No.12 of 2008.
Justice Simeon Allieu said the matter was adjourned for respective counsels to seek advice with regard second, third and fourth accused persons. He continued to say that we are here again today for that. The State counsel Lawyer Tarawally said he is not averse to an adjournment for the fourth accused person. He continued to say that for the next adjourned date they will commence their own defense so that the court will make progress.
In given his final conclusion on the matter Justice Simeon Allieu said that this case is adjourned for different counsels on behalf of the fourth accused person counsel to be present in court.
Lawyer Joul Deen Tarawally is prosecuting for the State whiles Winstina Kamara is representing the third accused person and Lawyer Nylanda is representing the second accused person. The bail continues for all accused persons. The matter has been adjourned for the 10th August, 2021.