By Alimatu Jalloh
FREETOWN — A bank fraud case involving alleged financial misconduct at Sky Bank Sierra Leone Limited took center stage at the Pademba Road Magistrate Court No. 1 on August 25, 2025, as prosecution witness David King Forfanah, a marketing officer and relationship manager at the bank, testified before Magistrate Mustapha Briama Jah.
Forfanah revealed that the fraud was uncovered following a suspicious cheque transaction issued by the accused, Ibrahim Barrie, which failed to process. This prompted an internal investigation that raised concerns over discrepancies in Barrie’s identification documents.
According to Forfanah, initial attempts to contact Barrie were unsuccessful, with the accused claiming to be out of town. After two months of silence, the bank intensified its investigation and attempted to locate Barrie at his former residence. A neighbor later confirmed Barrie’s return, leading to a confrontation in which Barrie initially denied opening the account, later claiming he had lost his ID and wallet in Wellington.
The witness further testified that the matter was reported to the Approved School Police Station, where Barrie allegedly attempted to flee but was apprehended. He was subsequently transferred to Ross Road Police Station and later to the Central Police Station, where formal charges were filed.
In court, prosecutors presented Barrie’s bank account statement, showing an initial deposit of NLe 100, followed by withdrawals of NLe 80 and NLe 15, raising further suspicions about the legitimacy of the account activity.
Barrie was granted bail by Magistrate Jah, with one surety required to be a Sierra Leonean. The case was adjourned to September 1, 2025, for further hearing.
Barrie was previously arrested on August 10, 2025, in connection with the alleged fraud. He faces multiple charges, including conspiracy to defraud and larceny. According to the charge sheet:
Count 1: Conspiracy to Defraud — Between May 1 and May 31, 2025, Barrie allegedly conspired with unknown individuals to defraud Sky Bank of NLe 94,500 at its Cline Town branch.
Count 2: Larceny — On May 8, 2025, Barrie allegedly stole NLe 400 via a bank-to-wallet transaction, violating Section 2 of the Larceny Act of 1916.
Count 3: Larceny — On May 9, 2025, he is accused of stealing NLe 15,000 and an additional NLe 70,000 through similar transactions, all funds belonging to Sky Bank.
The case has sparked public interest and raised concerns about the growing trend of bank-to-wallet fraud in Sierra Leone’s financial sector