Monrovia – The Regional Sales Supervisor of the Lone Star MTN, Suzette Blake, has gone on trial at the Criminal Court “C” at the Temple of Justice for allegedly misapplying US$66,000 and LD449, 515.00 intended for the company, the claim she has denied.
Report by Kennedy L. Yangian – [email protected]
Court record says that defendant Blake, while serving in the capacity as regional sales supervisor between the period of March 2014 up July 2015, was entrusted with electronic mobile money and stock/goods valued at LD$449, 515.00 plus US66, 000 to sell, supply and report or deposit the proceeds in Lone Star Cell MTN account at the Ecobank and other banking institutions but allegedly misapplied the funds.
On Monday, the second prosecution witness Lone Star MTN Samelia Dempster Tweh who is also the Customer Services Manager of the company took the witness stand and told the court that her office observed that funds given to defendant Blake for the management of agents within her region was not accounted for.
She went on to tell the court that a huge deposit was made to defendant Blake mobile money account by error and was withdrawn immediately from her account.
Madam Tweh indicated that in order for one’s account to be credited by the Lone Star Cell MTN under the mobile money arrangement, the first way is an agent make a deposit through another agent and the second way is an agent can make a deposit to the mobile money bank account at Ecobank, GT Bank, United Bank of Africa (UBA)
According to her, after the deposit is made at any of those banks mentioned, the mobile money financial controller upon receipt of confirmation from the bank process the entry on the mobile money platform.
“In this case, the deposit of the over four hundred and seventy thousand Liberian dollars was made by the Lone Star Cell MTN Broad Street Service Center, in the process of crediting the Broad Street service center mobile money account, the mobile money financial controller made the deposit in error to Suzette mobile money account,’’ said Madam Tweh.
When questioned about how the Management of the Lone Star Cell MTN discovered the erroneous transaction posted to defendant Blake’s account, the Customer Service Manager replied and stated that the erroneous account was discovered during the normal reconciliation process.
“During our investigation we observed that the amount that was deposited into Suzette’s mobile money account was actually deposited by our Broad Street Service Center” said Samelia Dempster Tweh
Prosecution lawyer, Cllr. Jerry Garlawolo rested with the second witness Tweh after he prayed the court to place a mark of confirmation placed on the instrument that she testified to which the court did.
However, the trial was adjourned to resume on Wednesday by the presiding Judge Emery Paye to prepare the defense team led by Cllr. Mamee Gongbah to cross-examine the witness.
“This trial is suspended to resume on Wednesday September 7, 2016 at 1:30 pm to cause the defendant prepare itself for the cross examination of the witness on the stand,” said Judge Emery Paye.