The Head of Internal Audit, United Band for Africa, , Okuben Adeebowale, on April 25, 2022 led evidence on the ongoing alleged theft case which is being investigated by the Presiding Magistrate at the Pademba Road Court No 1.
Adeebowale recognized the accused as a staff of UBA who was acting as Head Domestic Operations.
He recalled from June 29, 2020 to March 21, 2022 at that time the accused worked at the Bank. He said that on March 25, 2022, the Chief Operation Officer brought a report on a case of fraudulent transaction by the accused person.
He said after the report was brought to him, he conducted Internal investigation and checked the personal account of the accused.
Adeebowale produced and tendered copies of transactions involving the personal account of the accused. The witness disclosed that they look at the transactions processed by the accused, and it was at that time they realized that the accused had been inserting accounts that were not from the original files sent by customers.
The witness disclosed that they discovered five different accounts with five different names. He produced and tendered all transaction documents involving the five different accounts which were marked and tendered as different exhibits.
Adeebowale told the court that there was a manipulative transaction schedule of customer’s salary which he produced and tendered.
The accused Patrick Abubakarr Moore was arraigned on six counts charges of larceny. Police alleged that the accused on different dates between January 1, 2020 to March 31, 2022 at the United Bank for Africa, Freetown being a servant employed as acting head of domestic operation by UBA main branch in Freetown stole in total Le1, 125, 169 which he deposited on different accounts and later used the Bank Mobile App platform and transferred the said amount to his wallet which is property of UBA Sierra Leone.
The Defence Counsel, C.I. Williams Esq. renewed his previous bail application for and on behalf of the accused person.
According to Magistrate Kekura, bail was refused due to the seriousness of the allegation.
ASP C. Davies Cole Esq. is prosecuting the matter. The matter come up again on May 3, 2022.
By Alimatu Jalloh