By Fatima Kpaka
Mohamed Arafat Sahara Munda, a customer service officer at Rokel Commercial Bank (RCB) Bo branch, and two others were sent to prison on Monday, September 25, 2023 for the alleged theft of NLe 275,000.
The accused persons Mohamed Arafat Sahara Munda, Mohamed Munda Tarleh and Edison Brima Mohamed made their first appearance before Magistrate Mark Ngegba of Court No1 and were arraigned on 19 counts ranging from Conspiracy to defraud, larceny by servant contrary to section 17(1(a) of The Larceny Act 1916, causing money to be paid by means of fraud and other related offences, all contrary to the laws of Sierra Leone.
According to the police, the accused persons on Friday, August 18, 2023, at Rokel Commercial Bank at No 14 Bojon Street, Bo in the Kakua chiefdom in the southern province, conspired with other person’s unknown and defraud the said Bank the sum of two hundred and seventy-five thousand new Leones.
It is further alleged that the first accused Mohamed Arafat Sahara Munda, on diverse dates between June and August 2023, at the same bank being a customer service officer employed by the bank, stole the sum of NLe 275,000 from the bank accounts number 1803619809001 operated by Musa Kanteh now deceased property of Rokel Commercial Bank.
When the charges were read and explained to the accused persons in court, no plea was taken.
The prosecutor ASP Ibrahim S Mansaray requested an adjournment to have conference with his witnesses.
Defense Lawyer Gevao for the first accused, intimated the court that justice delay is justice denied and, in the circumstance, urged the prosecution for a speedy trial. He also applied for bail pursuant to section 79 sub section 3 of The Criminal Procedure Act 1965.
Lawyer Claudius Campbell also applied for bail on behalf of the third accused Edison Brima Mohamed.
Magistrate Ngegba refused to admit the accused on bail. The matter was adjourned to Thursday, September 28, 2023.