Anti-Corruption Division of the High Court, Main Law Courts Building in Freetown, 19th January 2026: Court of Appeal Judge, Honourable Justice Aiah Simeon Allieu, has sentenced the Head of Operations at the United Bank of Africa (UBA) to forty (40) years’ imprisonment after being convicted on four (4) counts corruption related offences.
The accused, Fredrick Caulker, was charged on a five-count indictment ranging from conspiracy to misappropriation of public funds, contrary to Section 36(1) of the Anti-Corruption Act No. 12 of 2008 as amended by the Anti-Corruption Act No. 9 of 2019.
According to the particulars of the offence, Accused Fredrick Caulker of No. 38A Taylor Street, Wellington in Freetown, Western Area of the Republic of Sierra Leone, while serving as Head of Operations of UBA, on various dates misappropriated public funds in various sums. The funds were PAYE Tax payments made by the Small Holder Commercialization Agri-Business Development Project (SCADeP) to the National Revenue Authority (NRA).
On Count five, it was alleged that the Accused Fredrick Caulker together with other persons unknown conspired to commit a corruption offence, to wit, the misappropriation of public funds, being withholding tax and PAYE tax paid by the SCADeP to the NRA.
In its bid to prove their case, the Prosecution led eight (8) wtnesses including a Banker working at the the Commerce Mortage Bank. Prosecution Witness Two (PW2) said the Accused Fredrick Caulker was his former boss at the UBA.
He told the Court that sometime in November, 2023, he received inflows from the Sierra Leone Commercial Bank in the amount of Le. 293,749.80 payable to the NRA. He said he posted the said amount which was signed by the Accused.
“This wasn’t the original account into which the swift money was to be paid,” said PW 2, adding that, “it was to be paid in the NRA account.”
He also recalled another payment he was instructed by his former boss, Accused Fredrick, to process to the tune of Le. 169, 134.29. He also told the Court that another amount of Le. 1, 291, 623.50 was supposed to be payable to the NRA account but couldn’t pay because upon receipt of the swift payment, Accused Fredrick told him that he had received a call from the Head of Operations at the Sierra Leone Commercial Bank that the initial transfer was a mistake and he was ordered by Accused Fredrick to pay same into another account with account numbers, 540 520 520 002 168.
PW2 concluded that he later received another amount of Le. 255, 725.81 with similar instruction from the Accused Fredrick to pay into a certain account which he did.
Addressing the Court, Honourable Justice Aiah Simeon Allieu said, “the prosecution couldn’t satisfy the elements of Conspiracy and I acquit and discharge the Accused accordingly on Count five.”
On counts one, two, three and four the Accused Fredrick Caulker was found guilty and he was sentenced to ten (10) years’ imprisonment on each count. The sentences from count 1,2,3 and 4 are to run consecutively, amounting to a total of forty (40) years.
Convict Fredrick Caulker was also ordered to pay into the Consolidated Revenue Fund the sum of Le. 1,980,233. 40 (One Million, Nine Hundred and Eighty Thousand Two Hundred and Thirty-Three Leones and Forty Cent.) The Court finally ordered that the said amount be paid within Ninty (90) days effective from the date of the judgment.
