By Janet A Sesay
Admire Frances Bio and her husband, Alhaji Dausy Jalloh on Friday, 3rd July, 2026, made their first appearance before principal Magistrate Mustapha Briama Jah and Magistrate Adama Kandeh for allegedly defrauding one Fanni Giuseppe and Alfio Siracusa over four hundred thousand United States Dollars by falsely presenting that they operated a genuine gold business knowing to be false.
During proceedings, state prosecutor Yusuf Isaac Sesay informed the court that he just received instructions for him to prosecute the matter and he is only receiving the file and had not gone through it.
Counsel Sesay said he needs to go through the file and advise himself on the next action to take which is to proceed and call witnesses to testify.
He respectfully requested for a date to enable him to have a conference with the witnesses to enhance speeding conclusion to the matter since it is a committal proceedings.
Counsel Sesay in compliance with the law, served the defense team with copies of a bundle of the file which contains documents evidence of the prosecution.
He said these set of documents that they serve to the defense team is what they relied on and if any other documents come up during proceedings of the matter, it will be served to defence Counsels.
Lead defense Counsel Melrone Nicole Wilson said that the prosecutor is very fair in the matter by giving a good reason why he will not proceed with the matter since he just received the file.
He added that he also just received the copies of the bundle of files served by the prosecutor and he also needs to go through them in preparation of his defense. On that note, he made an application for bail pursuant to Section 76 (1) (c) of the Criminal Procedure Act of 2024 and also in line with the bail regulations which states opposing to bail must be done by affidavit served by the prosecution.
He further states that they have not been served with any affidavit by the prosecutor.
Defense Counsel Wilson said in line with the law, the Magistrate has the powers to grant bail for the charges read so far.
He further states that both defendants are resident in Freetown and not foreign nationals, adding that they are very credible business persons who have never had any criminal conviction and what is before the court is mere allegations which needed to be proven.
Melrone Nicole Wilson further states in court that the matter was referred to the court by the CID headquarters and that they were invited in which they turned up voluntarily at the police station.
He further added that, the second defendant Alhaji Dausy Jalloh was out of the jurisdiction when a wanted notice was issued by the Sierra Leone police against him and had as a law abiding citizen , he concealed his trip abroad and came back and submitted himself to the police to which he was admitted to bail and not detained.
He further states that both defendants are not flight risks and they are property owners in the Western areas.
He furthered that they have responsible and credible sureties who will ensure that they are present before the court whenever they are needed at every adjourned date.
The defendants, he further states, did not even know the prosecution witnesses nor will he interfere with them.
Defense Counsel said “we have a robust and professional police force who will ensure compliance by both defendants if certain conditions boarder on the issues of security and travelling out of the country.”
He prayed that both defendants be admitted to bail pursuant to Section 76 (1) (c) of the Criminal Procedure Act of 2025.
Magistrate Mustapha Briama Jah and Magistrate Adama Kandeh granted both defendants $5000,000 bail and two sureties each in like sum, sureties, he ordered, should be a Sierra Leonean living in the Western Areas and one of the sureties should produce a title deed valued five hundred thousand United States Dollars
He ordered that Admire Bio and her husband Alhaji Dausy Jalloh should surrender their conveyance property value two hundred thousand United States Dollars Dollars.
Admire Bio and Alhaji Dausy Jalloh should surrender their travelling documents to the court until the end of the matter and should report in court three times a week.
The matter continus on the 9 July, 2026 for hearing.
Admire Bio and her husband Alhaji Dausy Jalloh were arraigned before the court on eleven (11) count charges of conspiracy to defraud contrary to Law, Obtaining Money by False Pretenses, contrary to Section 31(1) of the Larceny Act 1916, conspiracy to rob, contrary to law, money laundering, contrary to Section 25(1)(C) of the Anti-Money Laundering and Combating of Financing Terrorism and Financing the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction act, 2024, (Act No.4 of 2024), Receiving Money on a Forged Document, uttering forged documents, contrary to Section 6(1)(2) of the Forgery Act 1913,
Selling Mineral without legal permission, contrary to Section 184(1), of the Mines and Mineral Development Act 2022, (Act No.16 of 2023 and tax evasion, contrary to Section 154 of the Income Tax Act 2000(Act No.8 of 2000) as amended.
The indictment states that Admire Frances Bio and Alhaji Dausy Jalloh on 14th August 2025, at No. 1 DAJ Drive Mile 13, Freetown Peninsular, in the Western Area in the Republic of Sierra Leone, conspired with unknown persons to defraud Fanni Giuseppe and Alfio Siracusa the sum of two hundred and ten thousand United States Dollars ($210,000) by falsely pretending that they have genuine gold business, knowing to be false.
The indictment further states that Admire Frances Bio Jalloh and Dauda Jalloh alias Alhaji Dausy on date unknown between the 10th and 14th August 2025 at the same place with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of One Hundred Thousand United States Dollars ($100,000) from Fanni Giuseppe and Alfio Siracusa by falsely pretending that, they have a genuine gold business called GAN Minerals Sierra Leone Limited and have licensed to sell three(3) kilograms of gold, knowing same to be false and also both defendants on the 14th August 2025 also obtained ($110,000) from Fanni Giuseppe and Alfio Saracucior for the gold purpose.
The indictment further states that Admire Frances Bio and Alhaji Dausy Jalloh on the same day and place, with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of Fifteen Thousand United States Dollars ($15,000) from Fanni Giuseppe and Alfio Siracusa by falsely pretending that they, are going to pay exploration taxes for Three(3) kilograms of Gold knowing to be false.
The indictment continues that Admire Frances Bio Jalloh and Dauda Jalloh alias Alhaji Dausy on Wednesday 13th August 2025, at the Milton Margai College Drive, Goderich, in Freetown, conspired with other persons unknown to Rob Fanni Giuseppe and Alfio Siracusa three (3) kilograms of Gold valued Two Hundred and Ten Thousand United States Dollars ($210,000).
The charge sheet indicated that Admire Frances Bio Jalloh and Dauda Jalloh alias Alhaji Dausy on a date unknown between 10th and 14th August 2025 in Freetown, directly possessed One Hundred Thousand United States Dollars ($100,000) from Fanni Giuseppe and Alfio Siracusa by fraud
knowing the same to have derived from unlawful activities.
The charge sheet further states that Admire Frances Bio Jalloh and Dauda Jalloh alias Alhaji Dausy on diverse dates between 10th and 14th August 2025, at No. 1 DAI Drive Mile 13, Freetown Peninsular, received the sum of Two Hundred and Ten Thousand United States Dollars($210,000) from Fanni Giuseppe and Alfio Siracusa by virtue of a forged receipt to wit “GAN Minerals Sierra Leone Limited”, knowing the same to be forged.
The indictment further states that Admire Frances Bio Jalloh and Dauda Jalloh, alias Alhaji Dausy uttered a forged document purporting to be a payment invoice of GAN Minerals Sierra Leone Limited, knowing it to be forged and with intent to defraud.
The indictment further states that both defendants Admire Frances Bio and Dauda Jalloh also sold three Kilograms gold bars to Fanni Giuseppe and Alfio Siracusa without legal permission.
The indictment also alledged that Admire Frances Bio Jalloh and Dauda Jalloh alias Alhaii Dausy on a date unknown between the 10th and the 13th August 2025, at Mile 13, Freetown Peninsular, being persons chargeable to income tax, did willfully evade the payment of tax for the selling of three (3) kilograms of Gold under the business name GAN Minerals Sierra Leone Limited.