By: Audrey Raymonda John
Guaranty Trust Bank, Patrick Adeyemi Egunnike, a Nigerian National, and two others were brought before Magistrate Santigie Bangura of Pademba Road Court No.2 for allegedly falsifying the account of Ibrahim Bazzy and Sons Limited.
They were before the court on six-count charges ranging from Conspiracy to defraud contrary to law, Falsification of Accounts contrary to law, forgery, uttering a forged document, failure to keep records of transactions, and fraudulent conversion of property.
According to the particulars of the offence, the bank and others on diverse days between 1st July 2015 to and 31st July 2017 in Freetown with intent to defraud, conspired together and with other persons unknown to defraud Ibrahim Bazzy and Sons Limited
The police further alleged on count two that the corporation and the accused persons, on the same date and place with intent to defraud, falsified the account of Ibrahim Bazzy and Sons Limited.
Count three further stated that on the same date and place, the accused persons, with intent to defraud, forged certain documents with the signature of Hussein Ibrahim Bazzy in an offer of banking facility dated 31st day of July 2017, purporting that it was signed by the said Hussein Ibrahim Bazzy, knowing same to be false.
It was also alleged on counts four that on the same date and place, the accused persons, with intent to defraud, uttered a forged offer of banking facility dated the 31st July 2017
The police also stated on count five that Guaranty Trust Bank, with intent to defraud, failed to keep the application letters and acceptance letters in respect of loans given to Admiral Trading Limited and Ibrahim Bazzy and Sons Limited.
While counts six further that on the 20th July 2017 at the Guaranty Trust Bank #12 Wilberforce Street, the Western Area in Freetown, with intent to defraud fraudulently converted to its own use or benefit certain property that is to say a title deed of a realty received by it for and on account of Hussein Ibrahim Bazzy and sons limited in order that Guaranty Trust Bank retained the same in safe custody.
No plea was taken when the charges were read.
The state prosecutor, Yusuf Isaac Sesay Esq, told the bench that the first accused, being a corporation, should have sent a representative in court, so he applied for an order to ensure that Guaranty Trust Bank, being a corporation, has a representative named in a statement sent to the court for the purpose of the appointee standing for the corporation during the proceedings.
He urged the bench to be guided by timelines. If an adjournment is requested, it must be sent to the corporation before the next adjourned date.
The lead counsel representing the accused persons, Roland Wright, applied for bail on behalf of the third accused person, who is the second in command at Access Bank. He said the fourth accused person holds a senior position at the Guaranty Trust Bank, so they will not jump bail.
His application was made pursuant to section 79 (2 )of the Criminal Procedure Act No.32 of 1965.
Magistrate Bangura granted bail to the third and fourth accused persons in the sum of two hundred thousand Leones each. The sureties must be residents of Freetown, gainfully employed, and hold senior management positions in their respective employments. The bail will be approved by the Master and Registrar of the High Court of Sierra Leone.
He also ordered the first accused guaranty trust bank Sierra Leone Limited representative to appear in court, the appointment to be made in a written statement served on the prosecution on or before the next adjourned date, and such representative to appear before the court on the said date while the matter was adjourned to the 13th of November 2024.
