By Elizabeth Kamara
Lamin Tarawallay, a 39-year-old senior accountant, appeared before Magistrate Sahr Kekura at Pademba Road Court No. 1 on charges related to conspiracy to defraud, forgery, uttering forged documents, and larceny by servant.
The accused is facing six counts, including conspiracy to defraud contrary to law, uttering forged documents contrary to Section 6(1)(2) of the Forgery Act of 1913, and larceny by servant contrary to Section 17(1)(a) of the Larceny Act of 1916.
According to the charge sheet, between November 1 and November 4, 2024, at Hastings Toll Gate in Freetown, Tarawallay allegedly conspired with unknown persons to defraud the West Africa Operations and Management Company (WAOMC).
He is accused of forging and uttering Standard Chartered Bank cash deposit slips, including one dated November 2, 2024, with a face value of NLe142,789, and another dated November 4, 2024, valued at NLe283,100, purportedly signed by junior accountants Ibrahim K. Gbundema and Alhaji S. Mansaray. The accused is also charged with stealing NLe364,404 belonging to the company.
The accused did not enter a plea as the charges were read during the preliminary hearing.
The police prosecutor, ASP Ibrahim Mansaray, presented Alhaji Sheku Mansaray, a junior accountant at WAOMC, as the first witness. Mansaray identified the accused as his senior colleague at the Hastings Toll Gate station. He explained that his duties involve receiving cash from toll collectors, verifying it against the software, and recording it on demand notes.
He detailed the process of depositing daily collections into the company’s safe, preparing bank slips, and sending snapshots of the slips to the finance department’s WhatsApp group for verification.
The witness testified that the accused was responsible for depositing the physical cash into the bank. He stated that on November 1 and 4, 2024, he prepared demand notes and handed over cash to the accused for deposit. However, discrepancies arose when the accused failed to account for the funds.
The prosecution presented one demand note as evidence, and the matter was adjourned to February 3, 2025, for the presentation of additional evidence.
Defense counsel applied for bail, but Magistrate Kekura refused the application, citing concerns that the accused might interfere with the witness. The accused has been remanded at the Male Correctional Center pending further proceedings.
