By Saidu Kargbo
Freetown, 14th August 2026- The prosecution has urged the Pademba Road Magistrate Court No. 1 to reject a no-case submission filed by the defence in the high-profile fraud case involving Admire Bio Jalloh and her husband, Dauda Jalloh, insisting that the evidence presented is sufficient to commit the matter to the High Court for trial.
Appearing before Principal Magistrate Mustapha Braima Jah, State Prosecutor Yusif Isaac Sesay argued that the defence had misunderstood the case, stressing that the evidence points to what he described as “a criminal enterprise disguised as a gold-selling business.”
The Jallohs face eleven charges, including conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretences, money laundering, forgery, selling minerals without lawful permission, and tax evasion.
According to the prosecution, the case stems from an August 2025 transaction involving Italian national Alfio Siracusa, who expressed interest in buying gold through a man known as “Buddy,” the owner of Lagoonda Restaurant. Buddy allegedly connected Siracusa to Dauda Jalloh, who later introduced Admire Bio Jalloh as his wife.
Sesay told the court that the defendants showed Siracusa samples of gold and negotiated a price of US$70,000 per kilogram, with the complainant attempting to withdraw US$210,000 from Rokel Commercial Bank to purchase three kilograms. When the bank requested further documentation, Admire allegedly accompanied the complainants to facilitate the transaction.
Sesay dismissed the defence’s claim that the couple could not be conspirators simply because they are married, arguing that their conduct demonstrated active participation in the alleged scheme. He further pointed to documents bearing the name GAN Minerals SL Ltd, which the National Minerals Agency confirmed had no valid licence.
The prosecutor maintained that the absence of a licence, coupled with questionable receipts and company records, supported charges of conspiracy, forgery, and obtaining money by false pretences.
Sesay linked the alleged gold transaction to broader money laundering claims, while also highlighting tax evasion concerns tied to the use of false company information. He urged the court to consider the evidence collectively, including witness testimony, exhibits, and the defendants’ conduct, as sufficient grounds for trial.
Citing Section 105(1) of the Criminal Procedure Act, 2024, Sesay pressed the court to commit the defendants to the High Court, where the allegations could be fully tested.
Magistrate Jah acknowledged submissions from both sides and adjourned the matter to Monday, 24 August 2026 at 9:30 a.m., when he will deliver his ruling on whether the case proceeds to trial.
