By Janet Sesay
The Operations Head, Ecobank National Office, has testified in a Le900 million case.
Six workers have made their second appearance before Magistrate Marke Ngegba for allegedly conspiring together and stealing over nine hundred million Leones at the Makeni branch.
Led in evidence by state prosecutor Adrian Fisher, the witness, Mohammed Lamin Jalloh, Operations Head at the bank, identified all accused persons and stated that he has worked with the bank for twelve years.
He highlighted his responsibilities as a coach with the responsibility of training staff at the bank.
His trainings, according to him, were to capacitate staff to perform their duties effectively.
The witness further told the court that he works with the business department to ensure that customers are given the best services to manage and control expenditure.
He said the first and second accused: Mohammed Sorie Kamara, Abdul Conteh were the custodians at the Makeni branch handling the vault management system while also supplying cash to tellers.
He furthered that the treasury out slip is filled in by the tellers as per respective denominations.
The witness furthered that the slip is tendered to the vault custodians by the teller and the custodians will verify the details on the slip including the respective denominations applied for.
He testified that if the details are correct, the custodians will acknowledge the slip by signing on the treasury out slip and later supply cash to the tellers.
Mohammed Lamin Jalloh furthered that there is a system that records every activity processed in the vault.
He also noted that if a customer wants a loan, the customer must have an account at the bank and that he/she must also apply to the bank for loan.
The accused persons are before the court on seven count charges ranging from conspiracy to defraud, larceny by servant, forgery, altering a forged document, transacting a banking business without a valid license and money laundry, all contrary to the laws of Sierra Leone.
The particulars of offence states that the accused persons from Monday 1st January 2018 to Wednesday 2nd October 2019 at EcoBank, Makeni branch, conspired together with other persons unknown with intent to defraud the bank by means of the issuing of unauthorized loans to persons.
The accused persons on the same day, stole nine hundred and twelve million, six hundred thousand Leones (Le 912,600,000) belonging to the bank.
The court details continue that the accused persons also altered a certain document to wit a cash out vault voucher belonging to EcoBank Sierra Leone Limited which purported to show that two hundred million Leones (Le200, 000,000) was received by the second accused person, Abdul Barry Conteh, from the branch at Makeni knowing same to be false with intent to defraud.
The accused persons, according to details, were also accused of using certain properties worth nine hundred and twelve million, six hundred thousand Leones, property of EcoBank Sierra Leone Limited by way of un-authorizing the provision of loans to un-authorized persons knowing or having reason to believe that the said property was derived directly or indirectly from an unlawful activity.
The witness was cross-examined by defense counsel, Emmanuel Teddy Koroma, who also made an application for bail on behalf of all accused persons.
The accused were denied bail by the Magistrate and the matter adjourned to 31st October, 2019.