By: Alimatu Kargbo
The Principal Magistrate Court No. 1 on Thursday, 3rd July 2025, continued hearing a case involving alleged electricity meter tampering brought against two former staff members of Bloom Bank Africa.
The first accused, Musa Abdul, was the bank’s Human Resource and Administrative Officer until his resignation in August 2024. The second accused, identified only as Joshua, was initially an outsourced dispatch rider later appointed as Administrative Officer.
Legal representation for the first accused was led by Lawyer C.G. Thomas. The prosecution team included C. Pujeh, C. Davies, and seven others. During the proceedings, the prosecution’s first witness, Mr. Ernest Ohue, Chief Internal Auditor at Bloom Bank Africa, went through a rigorous cross-examination by defense counsel C.C.E. Commoh. Mr. Ohue, who testified as the bank’s lead on Risk Management and Internal Control, was questioned about various discrepancies surrounding internal documentation and the bank’s electricity transactions with the Electricity Distribution and Supply Authority (EDSA).
When asked about the balance shown in a tendered document, Mr. Ohue responded that it was 15,000 New Leones. Defense counsel challenged the accuracy of this figure, referencing a credit of 10,000 New Leones allegedly made to one Paul Nanason, to which the witness agreed.
The defense also questioned Mr. Ohue’s failure to submit documentary evidence explicitly linking both accused to any unauthorized transactions. The witness admitted that no such documents had been submitted, and that his evidence only confirmed a transaction between the first accused and the bank not between the accused individuals themselves.
Further examination revealed that the second accused served as a dispatch rider at the time of the incident.
The account statement tendered as Exhibit J showed no deposit or credit entry on key dates in January and March 2023.
No record exists showing the first accused withdrew cash from the bank without management’s knowledge. The defense asked the witness on Bloom Bank’s internal investigation protocols, suggesting that it was improper to initiate an investigation months after the first accused had resigned. Mr. Ohue claimed no knowledge of a policy requiring investigations prior to resignation.
One key argument presented was the alleged failure of the bank to submit evidence proving that payments were given to the first accused for EDSA credit which were never remitted to EDSA. Mr. Ohue responded that this discrepancy only came to light during an internal audit. Magistrate Mustapha Briama Jah adjourned the matter to
