By Saidu Kargbo
Freetown, 6th August 2026 – The high-profile fraud case involving defendants Admire Bio Jalloh and Dauda Jalloh took a new turn at the Pademba Road Magistrate Court No. 1, as defense counsel Melron Nicol-Wilson tendered a no-case submission following weeks of testimony and exhibits presented by the prosecution.
During proceedings before Magistrate Mustapha Braima Jah, prosecution counsel Yusif Isaac Sesay, Esq., led Detective Inspector Abubakarr Hassan, the third prosecution witness attached to the Foreign National and Tourism Unit at CID Headquarters. Hassan testified that on August 15, 2025, while on duty, he received a report of conspiracy to commit robbery and related offenses from two Italian nationals, Alfio Siracusa and Fani Giuseppe.
He explained that the Anti-Fraud Unit obtained statements from witness Ibrahim Sesay, which were tendered as exhibits. On the same date, Detective Sergeant Hassan Kargbo obtained a statement from Lebanese national Bahij Moujass, alias “Buddy.” Statements were also taken from the first defendant, Admire Francess Bio Jalloh, and later from complainant, Alfio Siracusa. These were tendered and marked as exhibits.
On September 10, 2025, Siracusa provided an additional statement accompanied by a receipt of payment issued by Admire Bio, which was also tendered. Further statements were obtained from “Buddy” on October 20, 2025.
Hassan recounted that on November 4, 2026, he and Detective Corporal Sesay visited No. 92 Wilkinson Road, Freetown, to verify the address of GAN Minerals Sierra Leone Ltd, as listed on an invoice given to the complainant. They discovered the location was an unfinished building with a shop run by a Lebanese national, but no office under the name GAN Minerals. The property owner, Madam Esther Finda Dauda, denied any knowledge of the company. Her statement was tendered as exhibit.
The witness added that on October 30, 2025, investigators wrote to the National Minerals Agency (NMA) to verify payments for the alleged gold transaction. The NMA later acknowledged receipt of US$15,000 on October 19, 2025, from “Buddy,” said to be a refund for three kilograms of gold. A reply from the NMA dated May 6, 2026, was tendered but not read, as the matter remains at the preliminary stage.
Hassan confirmed that Admire Bio Jalloh was charged with conspiracy to defraud, obtaining money by false pretence, conspiracy to rob, money laundering, receiving money on a forged document, uttering forged documents, selling minerals without license, and tax evasion. In March 2026, investigators obtained a statement from the second defendant, Dauda Jalloh alias “Dauzy.” On July 1, 2026, Dauda submitted his flight ticket and was subsequently charged with similar offenses. His charged statement was tendered and marked as exhibit.
At the close of the prosecution’s case, defense lawyer Melron Nicol-Wilson invoked Section 113(8) of the Criminal Procedure Act No. 8 of 2024, submitting that there was no case for the defendants to answer.
Magistrate Jah, after hearing the defense, adjourned the matter to August 10, 2026, for continuation and ordered the prosecution to respond to the no-case submission by August 13, 2026.
