By: Audrey Raymonda John
One Alusine Hudo Jalloh led evidence against Zhou Wengie, a Chinese national, yesterday after he was arraigned before Magistrate Santigie Bangura of Pademba Road Court No.2 on four counts of Forgery, Uttering, and conspiracy to defraud.
In his testimony, he identified the accused person as one of the shareholders of the said company since 9 December 2020.
The witness furthered that he is the Director who makes decisions regarding the said company, adding that these decisions are directed to the managers for the affairs of the running of the company, and thereby, he also serves as a marketer.
“I know the accused person as Manager of the company responsible for manning the production of goods and acting as labor officer going out to potential customers,” he mentioned.
During his testimony, he was shown a document, which he confirmed to have signed and has been in his custody. It was tendered and marked exhibit A.
He said the documents show that the accused person opened an account at the Rokel Commercial Bank that was unknown to the other shareholders, and the funds that were put into the account are the company’s own.
Also, a bank account opening mandate form and specimen with a signature from the bank were produced for identification with account number 111014871. The witness said the account mandate has three signatures, of which the accused person is one of them using signatories of people who have left and are receiving funds in these accounts from the company.
The Director furthered that he went to the bank again to ask for the details of the said account, which were given to him. He went through it, and the statements show that billions of old Leones had been deposited in it. He added that these amounts should have been deposited in the company’s Eco and Vista bank accounts.
“A lot of these monies were withdrawn from the account by the accused, thereby depriving the company’s work,” he testified.
During cross-examination by defense Lawyer A.B. Jalloh, the witness confirmed that he has gone through the M&E of the said company, which was incorporated in 2018. Zhang Ke is the largest shareholder, with 90% and 10% owned by the accused person.
How did you know the account was forged because the majority shareholder was not in the country?
When it is possible for someone to be out of the country and sign documents, it is possible for him to have signed, but the witness answered that he didn’t sign.
However, at this juncture, the matter was adjourned to 22nd November 2024 for further hearing.
According to the particulars of the offense on the 9th December 2020 in the western area of Freetown with intent to defraud pioneer power engineering Company Sierra Leone Limited conspired together and with other persons unknown in the preparation of a Forged document with Rokel commercial bank account opening from with Account number 11-1014871 dated 9th December 2020 purporting to have been signed by the authorized signatories of the pioneer engineering company SL Limited presented to the Rokel Commercial Bank.
Count two further stated that on the same date and place, the accused person, with the intent to defraud Forged the signature of Zhang Ke and Youg Yining on certain documents to wit Rokel commercial Account opening from with account number 11-1014871 dated December 2020 purporting to have been signed by the authorized signatories of pioneer power engineering company SL Limited the account holder at Rokel commercial Bank.
Counts three and four stated that on the same date and place, the accused person, with the intent to defraud, uttered a certain Forged document, namely, a Rokel Commercial Bank account opening form with account number 11-1014871 dated 9th December 2020, purporting to have been prepared and signed by Zhang Ke and Youg Yining, the majority shareholders of Pioneer Power Engineering Company SL Limited, held with the said Rokel Commercial Bank.