By Esther Wright
On Monday, May 20, 2024, Musa Joseph Sesay and Joshua Gbanyah appeared before Magistrate Sahr Kekura in Court No.1 on Pademba Road, facing a total of 24 charges related to fraud.
The charges include:
– 10 counts of Larceny by Servant, contrary to Section 17 (1) (a) of the Larceny Act 1916
– 12 counts of Causing Money to be Paid by False Pretenses, contrary to Section 32 (1) of the Larceny Act 1916
– 1 count of Forgery, contrary to Section 4 (1) of the Forgery Act 1913
– 1 count of Possessing Forged Documents, contrary to Section 6 (1) (2) of the Forgery Act 1913
– 1 count of Conspiracy to Defraud
According to court documents, between January 2, 2023, and August 31, 2023, both Musa Joseph Sesay, a Human Resource Officer at Bloom Bank Sierra Leone Limited, and Joshua Gbanyah, a student at the College of Excellent and Digital, conspired to defraud the bank of 619,000 new Leones.
Specifically, on Counts 2 to 11, Musa Joseph Sesay allegedly stole the funds intended for EDSA bills during his employment at Bloom Bank between January and October 2023. Counts 12 to 22 allege that Joshua Gbanyah, between October and November 2023, falsely caused Bloom Bank to pay 619,000 new Leones to Tamba Pessima, who was falsely presented as an EDSA agent.
Additionally, he faces charges for forging a statement of result from the College of Digital Excellent on October 16, 2023, and forwarded this forged document at Bloom Bank on the same date.
Defense Attorneys, former Ombudsman, Leon Jenkins Johnston and Lawyer Charles Pujeh, represented the accused. Johnston applied for bail but Inspector Mabel Tarawally objected.
Both Musa Joseph Sesay and Joshua Gbanyah were remanded in custody until Wednesday, May 22, 2024.
