By Aminata Phidelia Allie
Samuel Thomas Bangura, a staff of the Magbass Sugar Company in Freetown is currently facing a two-count charge of larceny and embezzlement.
Allegations are that the accused, a salesperson in the company, sometime this year failed to deposit into the company’s Sierra Leone Commercial Bank account an amount totaling Le 187,700,000.
The deputy commercial manager, Komba Dauda Sourie testified as the first witness. He told the court that an internal investigations team headed by the assistant human resource manager was set up as soon as the problem was detected. Though he was not a part of the team, Mr. Sourie said, he was advised by management to report the matter to the police based on the findings of the report which he said they obtained verbally.
The matter was adjourned to Monday 29 July 2013.
In a related matter, a businesswoman has testified against Tamba Sulaiman Chendeka and Alhaji Musa Sheriff who allegedly duped an Indian diamond dealer, Mayour Patel.
Testifying as second prosecution witness, a gold and diamond dealer, Isatu Barrie said the complainant was her business partner resident in the US.
Meeting Chendeka sometime in July last year she said she told him all about her partners in America who were interested in gold and diamond.
“He promised to introduce me to a friend of his whom he informed me had a 14.9-carat diamond for sale” she said adding that she met the first accused some days later, in central Freetown “and he showed me a diamond”.
According to the witness, the initial cost of the diamond was US$150,000 but was assured the price was negotiable.
Isatu furthered that she was later contacted by the Chendeka who told her his friend had agreed to sell the diamond at US$80,000. “He asked me to pay $ 60,000 and after my partners would have sold the diamond they could pay the balance of $ 20,000” she testified in court.
She told the court that she paid 30,000 in cash and the balance by installment as they kept asking for money for more money for things like certificates of origin, passports, visa, lawyer’s fee and other documents which she was told were important.
Chendeka and Sheriff are facing 13 counts of conspiracy to defraud, obtaining money by false pretences and causing to be paid with intent to defraud complainant.
Magbass produces sugar in northern Sierra Leone.
© Politico 23/07/13
