Samuel Kallon 
Two former staff of the Bloom Bank Africa, Musa Joseph Sesay Human Resource and Administrative Officer and Joshua Gbanyah, had on Thursday 3rd July 2025, made another appearance before Magistrate Mustapha Braima Jah of Pademba Road Court no.1 for alledgely embezzling over six hundred thousand new Leones from the bank’s money which is to be paid to EDSA for top-up.
The accused were before the court on two count charges ranging from conspiracy, larceny by servant, causing money to be paid by false pretenses and forgery of documents contrary to law.
The charge sheet indicated that Sesay and Gbanyah between January 2nd 2023 and 31st March 2024 as employees of the bank alledgely misappropriated funds intended for the payments of electricity bills (EDSA) on multiple occasions.
The charge sheet further said that both accused persons facilited payment of six hundred and nineteen thousand new Leones (NLe 19,000) from the bank.
The charge sheet indicated that the second accused Gbanyah forged document from the college of digital excellent including statements of results bearing his name purported to be prepared and signed by office of the Registrar at the College of Digital Excellence which police claim that it was falsified.
At the last hearing the witness Ernest Ohue, who is the Chief Internal Auditor of the bank, testified before the court. The matter was adjourned to be cross-examined by the defense counsels.
Defense Counsel C. C.
- Commoh on behalf of the first accused Musa Joseph Sesay crossexamined the witness Ernest Ohue.
Answering these questions, the Chief Internal Auditor of the Bank Ernest Ohue, said a deposit of ten thousand new Leones (NLe 10, 000) was made by one Paul Nanason at the bank during the time the incident occurred.
Chief Auditor Ohue also told the court that the second accused Joshua Gbanyah is a dispatch rider of the bank and was still in that position when the incident occur.
Defense Counsel further asked Auditor Ohue that there was no record before the court which shows that both accused persons had withdrawn money from the bank without the knowledge of the Management of the bank.
He said management never knew what was happening until when EDSA’s official(s) went to the bank to turn off their light when they knew about the situation then.
It was at that time management noticed that both accused persons had not been paying light bills since it was their duty to do so, they said.
Ohue further told the court in cross examination that first accused Musa Joseph Sesay resigned from the bank one month before they discovered the fraud and the receipts produced before the court showed that payments for EDSA top up were made before his resignation.
He was asked again by defense counsel Commoh that there was no evidence by EDSA which directly linked the first accused Musa Joseph Sesay to have tampered with the meter but Ohue answered and told the court that EDSA indicated that Bloom Bank Africa meter had been tampered with adding that electricity credits had not been purchased for certain period.
Ohue further informed the court that the account number used by the first accused Musa Joseph Sesay to deposit the money given to him for EDSA top-up is 0012011040 and the account ceased operation following his resignation as former staff of the bank.
He was asked by the defense counsel that if there was no evidence before the court showing transaction between both accused persons. Ohue responded that there are no documents linking them for any transaction but there were documents showing that some transactions took place between the accused persons and the bank on filling up the bank’s meter.
