Musa Joseph Sesay, the Human Resource Officer (HR) at Bloom Bank Sierra Leone Limited, and Joshua Gbanyah, a student at the College of Digital Excellence (CODE), on Wednesday 19 March 2025 made another appearance before Magistrate Sahr Kekura of Pademba Road Court No.1, following accusations of embezzling six hundred and nineteen thousand new Leones (NLe 619,000) from the bank.

Sesay and Gbanyah faces a total forty-two count charges, including conspiracy, larceny by servant, causing money to be paid by false pretenses, and forgery of documents all contrary to the laws of Sierra Leone.

The indictment stated that the accused, between January 2, 2023, and 31 March 2024 Sesay, in his capacity as HR Officer at Bloom Bank, was alleged to have misappropriated funds intended for the payment of electricity bills (EDSA) on multiple occasions.

Gbanyah stood  accused of orchestrating a fraudulent scheme, whereby he facilitated the payment of six hundred and nineteen thousand Leones (619,000) to one Tamba Pessima, falsely presenting him as an EDSA agent to Bloom Bank.

Furthermore, Gbanyah was alleged to have forged documents from the College of digital excellent (CODE) including a statement of results bearing his name and ID number, prepared and signed by the office of the Registrar at CODE, which the police claimed to be falsified.

After the charges were read and explained to the accused no plea was taken.

Initially both accused were arraigned before the court on twenty four (24) count charges but the prosecutor ASP Ibrahim Mansaray at the last adjourned date sought for an adjournment for an amendment of the charges which were granted by the Magistrate.

Defense counsel Charles Pujeh objected that the accused were at first arraigned before the court on twenty four count and now a  forty-two count charges were levied against them.

Magistrate Kekura said the prosecutor asked for an amendment to change the dates on the charge sheet and not additional of charges to be made against the accused persons.

At this juncture the prosecutor ASP Ibrahim Mansaray sought for another adjournment for him to seek proper clarification from the bank.

The accused got bail and the matter was adjourned to 28 March 2025.