By Audrey Raymonda John
Two staff of Sierra Leone Rokel Commercial bank are appearing in a court in Freetown in connection to a fraud case that seems to dent the bank’s long-earned credibility.
Mohamed Arafat Sahara Munda, a customer service officer at Rokel Commercial Bank Bo branch and two others were on Thursday 28 September 2023 made their second appearance before the principal Magistrate of the Freetown Magistrate Court no 1 Magistrate Mark Ngeba for the alleged theft of two hundred and seventy-five (275) thousand new Leones from an account of the bank.
The accused Mohamed Arafat Sahara Munda, Mohamed Munda Tarleh and Edison Brima Mohamed were arraigned before the court on nineteen count charges ranging from Conspiracy to defraud, larceny by servant contrary to section 17(1(a) of the larceny Act 1916, causing money to be paid by means of fraud and other related offences – all thought to be criminal offences as provided by the laws of Sierra Leone.
A police alleged that the accused on Friday 18 August 2023, at Rokel Commercial Bank Bojon Street in Bo conspired together with others to defraud the Bank the sum of two hundred and seventy five thousand new Leones.
It was further alleged that the first accused Mohamed Arafat Sahara Munda on diverse dates between June and August 2023, at the same bank, stole the sum of 275 thousand new Leones from this bank account’s number 1803619809001 of the RC bank operated by Musa Kanteh now deceased property of Rokel Commercial Bank.
The police also alleged that the accused on the same dates and place with intent to defraud unlawfully by allowing money to be paid by Mohamed Munda Tarleh and Edison Brima Mohamed, an agent of RCB Sim korpor mobile application system, making several amounts of withdrawals from RCB’s account of Musa Kanteh, the account holder who is now deceased.
Testifying on oath, the witness Alpha Barrier staff of the bank said he knew the first accused as staff of the bank who was working as customer service officer, charged with the duty to attend to customers.
He said he knew the second accused as an agent operating an agency for the bank. And he said he also knew the third accused through the second accused as he used to represent him in his boot.
Witness Barrie recalled on Friday 13 August 2023, adding that on that day he received a call from the head of Sim kopor unit Mrs Salami who gave him information about an account and she ordered him to block the said account by the name of Musa Kanteh.
He said after blocking the account he went through it and went to the community of the holder of the account to make an enquiry but he was told that the account holder is now a deceased.
The witness said upon his return to the office, he did some changes in the account and put it on a stand by.
He continue that during an investigation by the police, they gave several documents to the police and said that if given the opportunity he will bring the said documents in court.
Prosecutor Ibrahim Mansaray sought for an adjournment at this stage for the witness to bring the documents in court.
Defense Counsel H. M Geavo renewed his application for bail, adding that they will not jump bail because they knew that they have a very good case.
He made his application pursuant to section (2)(3) of the CPA no 32 of 1965.
Magistrate Ngegba granted the five hundred thousand Leones bail and one surety each in like sum
He said each surety must have an account balance of one hundred and fifty thousand new Leones.
He further said that each surety should be a property owner in Freetown and bail should be approved by the Magistrate himself.
The matter was adjourned to 9th October 2023 for continuation.