By: Audrey Raymonda John
Two employees of Zenith Bank Sierra Leone Limited have been remanded at the Freetown Male Correctional Centre after making their first appearance before Magistrate John Manso Fornah at Pademba Road Court No. 2 in Freetown over an alleged fraud involving Q-Cell (SL) Limited.
The accused, Hassan Fornah, 35, and Mohamed Tharm, 36, are facing three counts: conspiracy to defraud contrary to law; fraudulent conversion contrary to Section 20(1)(iv)(a) of the Larceny Act 1916; and fraudulent embezzlement contrary to Section 17(1)(b) of the same Act.
According to the particulars of offence, between 20 January and 17 March 2025 at the Zenith Bank Bo Branch, the defendants allegedly conspired with persons unknown to defraud and obtained the sum of Le 2,155,898.00.
Prosecutors further alleged that during the same period, the accused fraudulently converted the said amount to their personal use. The money had reportedly been entrusted to them by staff of Q-Cell (SL) Limited for deposit into the company’s bank account number 6010306485 at Zenith Bank.
The third count states that the accused also fraudulently embezzled the same amount, which had been given to them for the purpose of depositing it into the specified Q-Cell account.
When the charges were read and explained in court, no plea was taken.
During the proceedings, Assistant Superintendent of Police Dialla Wellington led the testimony of prosecution witness number five, Inspector Alimamy Kamara, attached to the Criminal Investigation Department headquarters at Pademba Road in Freetown.
Inspector Kamara told the court that on 18 May 2025, while on duty, a case and inquiry file involving the two defendants was transferred to him from the office of the Regional Crime Officer in Bo for further investigation.
He said that after registering the file, he obtained an additional statement from the complainant, Mary Davies, on 19 May 2025. On the same day, he and Detective Police Constable (DPC) 17712 M. Lahun obtained a voluntary caution statement from the second accused in the Krio language, which was later recorded in English.
According to the witness, the statement was read over and explained to the accused, who admitted that it was true and correct by affixing his right-hand thumbprint. The document was witnessed by DPC Lahun and later produced and tendered in court as part of the prosecution’s evidence.
Inspector Kamara further stated that on 20 May 2025, he, together with Inspector S. K. Mansaray and DPC Lahun, obtained a similar voluntary caution statement from the first accused using the same procedure.
He added that on 9 February 2026, investigators obtained charge statements from both accused persons regarding the offences for which they are currently standing trial, following the same procedures used during the earlier statements.
The witness also told the court that during the investigation, several correspondences took place between the police, the Financial Intelligence Agency, and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. These documents, he said, are in police custody and were produced and tendered in court as exhibits.
Additionally, Inspector Kamara said he prepared a progress report to assist the Office of the DPP and other authorities during the investigation. That report was also tendered in court.
He further testified that investigators in Bo handed over several documents to him, including deposit slips from Zenith Bank that were allegedly found in the bag of the first accused. The documents were produced and tendered as exhibits.
The witness also presented a Zenith Bank cheque dated 22 March 2024 bearing the name of the second accused and serial number 1710011, which has since been in police custody.
Inspector Kamara added that investigators from Bo also provided slips and papers from the bank containing figures alleged to represent monies owed by the defendants. However, he said those documents were under the custody of the exhibit officer, and due to their sensitive nature, he could not provide further testimony on them.
The witness was cross-examined by defence lawyers L. B. Koroma and E. M. Kargbo, representing the two accused persons.
At the end of the hearing, Magistrate Fornah refused bail and ordered that the accused be remanded at the Freetown Male Correctional Centre. The matter was adjourned to 18 March 2026 for further hearing.