Mobile Money Fraud: Le19.8M Missing from Access BankAccount

By Audrey Raymonda John
Freetown, Sierra Leone – The ongoing trial involving the alleged theft of le19,878,360 from
Orange Mobile Finance Limited took a significant turn on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, as the
Head of Orange Money Operations testified before Magistrate John Manso Fornah at the
Pademba Road Court No. 2.
Six individuals—Yusif Turay, Ibrahim Thullah, Ishmael Nat Thomas, Hassan Gibrill
Kargbo, Alhaji Santigie Sesay, and Sheriff Osman Sankoh—all businessmen or mobile
money agents, are standing trial on three counts, including Conspiracy to Defraud and
Larceny by Servant contrary to Section 17(1)(a) of the Larceny Act of 1916.
According to court documents, the accused allegedly conspired to steal nearly le 20 million
between March 24 and 25, 2025, from an Orange Money wallet account—Account No.
0010160000326—held at Access Bank Sierra Leone Limited. The alleged fraud occurred at
various branches across the Western Area and in Rotifunk, Lungi, within the Kaffu Bullom
Chiefdom, Port Loko District.
During Tuesday’s proceedings, David Solomon Musa, Head of Orange Money Operations,
appeared as the third prosecution witness, led in evidence by Assistant Superintendent of
Police Dialla Wellington.
Musa testified that on the morning of March 25, he was alerted by the Head of Finance,
Alhaji Thorley, regarding a discrepancy: a payment supposedly deposited the previous day
was missing from their Access Bank account. Upon verifying the report, he and Thorley
visited Access Bank headquarters before opening hours and demanded to see the account
manager and head of IT.
According to Musa, he submitted a list of agent numbers that had made unauthorized
withdrawals on the account during the specified dates. He stated that those transactions were
not sanctioned by Orange Money. While at the Congo Cross branch of Access Bank, Musa
said he identified the 1st accused, Yusif Turay, conducting a transaction and questioned him
on the spot.
“He told me he had made previous similar transactions and was continuing as usual,” Musa
testified, adding that he later made a full statement to the police at the CID Headquarters,
Economic Crimes Division.
The accused have not yet entered pleas, as the charges were read and explained during their
first court appearance.
Defense Counsel S.L. Lewis requested a deferment of the cross-examination, which was
granted.
Magistrate Fornah adjourned the matter to June 24, 2025, with all accused persons
remaining on bail as the trial continues.
4
th Lead
Endangered Innocence: Sierra Leone Faces Renewed Calls to Eradicate Female Genital
Mutilation
By Shadrach Aziz Kamara
Freetown, Sierra Leone – Despite growing global condemnation and decades of advocacy,
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) remains entrenched in parts of Sierra Leone, posing grave
risks to the health, dignity, and future of young girls.
Often carried out under the pretext of cultural or traditional rites, FGM involves the partial or
total removal of external female genitalia for non-medical reasons. Performed on girls as
young as infancy and up to age 15—frequently without anesthesia and in unsanitary
conditions—the practice causes devastating physical and psychological harm.
“I was only 12 when it happened,” recounts Mariatu, now 23, from the Northern Province. “I
didn’t know what was going to happen until it was too late. I still remember the pain. It has
affected my relationships and confidence ever since.”
Medical professionals warn of the immediate dangers: intense pain, severe bleeding,
infections, and sometimes death. Long-term complications include chronic urinary issues,
childbirth difficulties, infertility, and lifelong emotional trauma.
Globally, FGM is recognized as a violation of human rights. The United Nations, World
Health Organization (WHO), African Union (AU), and ECOWAS have all classified it as a
serious form of gender-based violence. Yet in Sierra Leone, where awareness campaigns
have increased, there is still no formal nationwide ban, and enforcement remains limited.
Grassroots activists and civil society leaders are intensifying their calls for urgent legislative
action and community-based interventions.
“The fight against FGM is not just about stopping the blade,” says Hawa Conteh, a women’s
rights advocate in Bombali District. “It’s about transforming mindsets, educating
communities, and restoring dignity to our girls.”
Many groups are now promoting alternative rites of passage that respect cultural values
without causing harm. Programs aimed at retraining former practitioners and supporting
survivors are gaining ground, with the hope of breaking generational cycles.
Dr. Fatmata Kargbo, a reproductive health specialist, emphasized the broader social impact:
“FGM has no place in a modern, just, and equitable society. We cannot claim to be
progressing if we are still harming our girls in the name of tradition.”
As Sierra Leone continues its journey toward democratic and social advancement, advocates
say the country must prioritize the rights and protection of its most vulnerable—young girls