More Accounts in Controversial GT Bank Loan

Prosecution’s seventh witness Mohammed Ware, Sr. has told Criminal Court “C” at the Temple of Justice in Monrovia that on two occasions, he took loans from indicted Guaranty Trust Bank employee Stanley Yorsee – a scheme that the bank said it did not authorize.

Defendants Yorsee, Montmorancy Yancy and Emmanuel Togba were jointly indicted by prosecution for alleged misapplication of US$126,219 of Total Liberia’s deposits, but defendant Togba testified for the prosecution after charges were dropped against him.

The defendants were accused of giving out loans that were not authorized by the management, and the deal allegedly affected Total Liberia’s deposits in the tune of US$126,219. Witness Ware told the court on Monday, 12 September that he first transacted with defendant Yorsee in 2014 when he took US$500 as loan at the rate of 25 percent from defendant Yorsee to buy his son’s ticket to travel to the U.S.A.

He said he issued to defendant Yorsee a US$625 check and in return, the defendant asked the Teller to give him (witness Ware) US$500. On the second transaction witness Ware said he had negotiated with defendant Yorsee to give him two months to pay back the same amount the loan in the same amount he had taken earlier, while Yorsee also set a precondition that a compound interest should be paid for such period.

“… [So l] issued that check and [gave] it to him but he told me not to write the date because it is postdated check and the date he will be en-cashing it that is the time he will put the date, because at the time I was issuing the check there was no money in my account,” Mr. Ware told the court Monday.

According to witness Ware, there was “no paper work” between him and defendant Yorsee order than issuing the indictee a check at an interest rate for the loan he took. He additionally said the defendant ensured that the check did not carry any name and date, except the amount and the borrower’s signature, based on the arrangement they had.

But in en-cashing the check, witness Ware said defendant Yorsee did not use his (Yorsee’s) name, instead, alleging that the defendant used his (witness Ware’s) name. “… [And] when this case started at that time I had his number I called him and asked him why did you [use] my name instead of your name he said Oh Papay just forget it the major thing is the money had been paid. And so I rested,” witness Ware concluded.

By Winston W. Parley-Edited by George Barpeen