Six Orange Money Agents Committed to High Court for Fraud and Larceny

Six Orange Money Agents Committed to High Court for Fraud and Larceny

Six defendants, identified as businessman Yusif Turay, agent Ibrahim Thullah, businessman Ishmael Nat Thomas, businessman Hassan Gibrill Kargbo, businessman Alhaji Ssbtigie Sesay, and student Sheriff Osman Sankoh, have been committed to the High Court for trial. The committal followed their final appearance before Magistrate John Manso Fornah at Pademba Road Court No.2 on Wednesday, December 10, 2025.

The defendants face three charges: conspiracy to defraud, contrary to law, and larceny by servant, in contravention of Section 17 (1)(a) of the Larceny Act of 1916.

The particulars of offence allege that the defendants, on an unspecified date between Monday, March 24, 2025, and Tuesday, March 25, 2025, at various Access Bank Sierra Leone Limited branches in Freetown, allegedly conspired with unknown individuals to defraud Orange Mobile Finance Limited of a total sum of nineteen million, eight hundred seventy-eight thousand, three hundred sixty Leones (NLe 19,878,360).

The prosecution contends that the defendants, operating as authorized Orange Mobile Money agents, utilized the Orange Money wallet to bank transaction platform to execute the theft.

Count two specifies that, on the same date and at the same location, the defendants, in their capacity as Orange Mobile Money agents, stole the identical sum from Bank Account Number 0010160000326, which is operated through the Orange Money wallet collection and is the property of Orange Mobile Finance Limited.

Count three similarly accuses the defendants of unlawfully stealing the identical amount from the same bank account via the Orange Money platform.

The defendants did not enter a plea when the charges were formally read and explained. The state prosecutor, Assistant Superintendent of Police Dialla Wellington, affirmed that the case was prepared for prosecution and offered a rebuttal to the defense's no-case submission.

Defense counsel, S.L. Lewis Esq., submitted a no-case statement for the court’s consideration. Following a careful review of the submissions, Magistrate Fornah concluded that the prosecution had presented sufficient prima facie evidence linking the defendants to the alleged offences.

Consequently, Magistrate Fornah dismissed the defense's no-case submission and ruled that the defendants have a case to answer, thereby necessitating their committal to the High Court for formal trial.

Magistrate Fornah formally committed all six defendants to stand trial at the High Court and ordered that the existing bail conditions remain in effect, as stipulated by Section 116 (1) of the Criminal Procedure Act of 2024.