March 10, 2017 By Regina Pratt
Lead Anti-Corruption Commission prosecutor, Lawyer Calvin T. Mantsebo, has stated in his opening address on Tuesday, March 7, 2017, that the evidence before the court was that the sum of Le1,349,530 billion intended for charitable work was misappropriated from Plan International account through the actions of the 8 accused persons.
He was addressing Justice Komba Kamanda in the case between the State versus Akunna Daniel Shorunkeh-Sawyer and seven others.
He said the State would establish that there was a plan and an agreement among the accused persons to misappropriate the said funds, and that the State would also establish that the modus operandi was fairly simple.
Lawyer Mantsebo further said the accused persons were employed by Plan International and that Akunna Daniel Shorokeh-Sawyer made direct bank transfers from Plan International bank account to their local partner organisations.
“The same accused persons who were employed by Plan International thereafter instructs the heads of those local organisations to withdraw the monies that had been transferred from Plan account to their own accounts,” he said.
He said the State would also lead evidence to establish that the 1st accused, Akunna Daniel Shorunkeh-Sawyer and 4th accused, Patrick Abubakarr Mahoi, were found to be in possession of unexplained wealth beyond their sources of income.
Led in evidence by lawyer Mantsebo, PW 14, Joseph Bockarie Noah, who is the senior investigating officer at the Anti-Corruption headquarters, said he recognised all accused persons in the dock.
The witnesses read the statement of the 3rd accused, Yassin Turay, who stated that he was employed as a cleaner for some 14 years and later became an account assistant for 6 years, working directly with the 1st accused as his immediate boss.
The accused denied the allegation of obtaining of about Le50 million.
The matter was adjourned to Monday, March 20, 2017