A Sierra Leonean national based in the United States of America, Mr. Sandy Campbell, has allegedly accused the Minister of Finance, Mr. Sheku Fantamadi Bangura together with Mr. David Macsuaray in the USA and Mrs. Francess Paigie Alghali (former Minister of State in the Vice President’s Office in Sierra Leone), another lady in Freetown, Sierra Leone he (Ahmed Sheku Fantamadi Bangura) referred to as the HR who coordinates the scholarship program in Sierra Leone and according to the Finance Minister the HR lady was appointed by His Excellency the President, Julius Maada Bio and the ADC to the president at the time of the scholarship processing and coordinating the fraudulent USA scholarship program.
Mr. Sandy Campbell alleged that Mr. Sheku Fantamadi Bangura’s directed him to one Mrs. Francess Paigie Alghali (former Minister of State in the Vice President’s Office in Sierra Leone) who provided the fake scholarship payment information details to make payments to Mr. Dave Macsuaray in USA and that $300 was sent via orange money locally in Sierra Leone to the ADC to the president (in October 2024) by Mr. Campbell’s family members in Sierra Leone for a reimbursement for the renewal of their passports.
A complaint email to the Chief Minister from Mr. Sandy Campbell reads, “I am aware that you are a very busy person considering your daily routines; however, since I have not received any response from you in relation to my complaint; we have decided to submit a criminal report next week to the FBI in US, Zelle Corporation through which most of the payments were transmitted to Mr. David Macsuaray, the Federal Trade Commission in US; law enforcement agencies in Sierra Leone and the Anti-Corruption Commission in Sierra Leone, West Africa.”
Another reminder email was sent again to the Chief Minister, Dr. David Sengeh; “in case you may want to have more information about this scholarship scam report in the near future, kindly reach out to me. My niece (Anne Marie Bangura), nephew (Mahmoud Gbessay) both copied this email and Mr. John Moseray in Freetown (also copied on this email) for more information and clarifications. You will be updated for information only when the reports are submitted in the US and Sierra Leone.”
Another email from Mr. Sandy Campbell to Mr. David Macsuary, Mrs. Francess Paigie Alghali (former Minister of State in Vice President’s Office in Sierra Leone) and Dr. Sengeh reads, “this email is a final reminder to inform you that next week, I will be submitting a crime report to the relevant authorities for the fraudulent scholarship scam program coordinated by Mr. Sheik Ahmed Fantamadi Bangura, Minister of Finance in Sierra Leone, West Africa. Ms. Francess Paigie Alghali (former Minister of State in Vice President’s Office in Sierra Leone) has started to replace her family photo on her Gmail account with a Caucasian white lady! The authorities will reach out to all involved in this international scam and will be brought to justice.”
Mr. Sandy Campbell further informed this paper that because of the trust and friendship he had with Mr. Sheku Ahmed Fantamadi Bangura since their days at Fourah Bay College he led him to believe that there was a genuine scholarship for students to study in the USA but that his cousin and nephew were deprived and misled to believe that they were going to get a scholarship through Mr. Bangura to study in the US.
He continued that a final attempt to secure the visa at the American Embassy in Freetown through the efforts of the ADC/HR and Mr. Bangura proved to be a fake visa sent to Mr. Campbell by the Finance Minister, Mr. Bangura (a copy was submitted to this paper) and continued in his email, “since I have not heard from you from my previous reports/emails; I will be engaging all resources, including news outlets and necessary authorities in the USA and Sierra Leone to report the criminal fraudulent activities being perpetuated by the current Minister of Finance in Sierra Leone targeting Sierra Leoneans at home and abroad. The Office of the President will also be informed. All relevant federal authorities will also be informed. It is now evidently clear that this is a criminal activity being coordinated by the current Finance Minister in Sierra Leone. The Minister and all others involved will be mentioned in the criminal report I will be filling in the US and Sierra Leone. Please sir, I am kindly requesting that you reach out to Mr. Bangura to inform the ADC or HR to return the passports (four in total) of Ann-Marie Bangura and Mahmoud Gbessay to your office or any other office for pick up.” I will be grateful if you could kindly take steps as the Chief Minister to retrieve the passports of these family members from the current Minister of Finance please.
Kindly Regards
Sandy Campbell”
According to Mr. Sandy Campbell, in October 2024; Mr. Sheiku Ahmed Fantamadi Bangura started to call him informing him of Government scholarship opportunities and that he would allow him to nominate two or even three of his family members from Sierra Leone for this Government scholarship program for students to study for an open scholarship in US adding that the Finance Minister also informed him that it is a program for Ministers, their families and friends and that since they had been friends from Fourah Bay College days he would help his family members secure the scholarship to study in the United States of America.
He further disclosed that his niece and nephew dropped their passports at the State House and on another occasion, his niece went to the State House and was driven in a white Toyota Land Cruiser together with some military officers adding that a photo of his niece was sent to him by Sheik Ahmed Fantamadi Bangura during when the soldiers drove his niece for the yellow card the same day.
He said the Finance Minister was always calling him and coordinating with another lady he referred to as HR who he said was appointed by His Excellency the President, Dr. Julius Maada Bio to oversee all the scholarship programs.
He went on, “the other US contacts were provided for payments of a total of about $12,000 The $300 was sent to the ADC via orange money by my niece and nephew in Sierra Leone as reimbursement for their passports renewal as he informed me that they had already initiated action to renew the passports for my two family members. He linked me and my two family members to the names in the email below and the ADC to the president and he further mentioned the Secretary to the President, Mr. Julius Sandi. I would not have been involved in such a process if I had not known Mr. Bangura as a friend for a very very long time since our days at FBC. I ensured we spoke a lot of personal stuff just to be sure, I was talking to him. Even recently, I am sure late October or November, he called me while he visited the USA. He informed me he was in Lowell MA with the President and Chief Minister. He invited me to visit Lowell in Massachusetts so he would introduce me to you guys, but I declined the offer. He even told me a lot of personal information about you, the President and the First Lady, Mrs. Fatima Bio but i do not want to say anything right now. Since we have concluded that the whole process/scholarship program is a fraud targeting Sierra Leoneans at home and abroad; i had written an email to Mr. David Macsuaray and Ms. Francess Paigie Alghali (former Minister of State in the Vice President’s Office in Sierra Leone) that they should refund my money otherwise I will be forced to report the criminal fraud activity to ZELLE, The FBI and the Federal Trade Commission and also report the matter to your office, the President, to law enforcement and to the Anti-Corruption Commission in Sierra Leone.”
Mr. Sandy Campbell went on to state that after consultations with family members, he has concluded that they should submit the report to the Office of the President first before moving forward with other reports intimating, “my friend and former colleague who Mr. Bangura knows very well from the FBC days, Mr. John Morseray copied on this email has also contacted and prevailed on Mr. Sheku Ahmed Fantamadi Bangura to refund my money since the whole scholarship program is a fraud. My principal motivation to send this email today and not wait any longer is because Mr. Sheku Fantamadi Bangura has been bold enough to start threatening my family members in Sierra Leone with jail if they file a report against him. In response, I sent him a text that we will NOT be intimidated and that all relevant authorities will be informed. Kindly use your good offices to thoroughly investigate this fraudulent scholarship program and request Mr. Sheku Fantamadi Bangua to refund my money as i don’t want to report the crime here to Zelle and Federal Agencies which will not be a good thing for Sierra Leone being a growing economy that needs a lot of external resources.”
Mr. Campbell further informed this paper that in October 2024; Mr. Bangura called and invited him to visit him while he was in the USA-Lowell Massachusetts together with the President and Chief Minister so he can introduce him to the President and Chief Minister.
However, according to Mr. Campbell, he declined the invitation by Mr. Bangura to visit him in Lowell, Massachusetts USA during their visit in USA in October 2024 disclosing that during their conversation while Mr. Bangura was visiting USA in October 2024; Mr. Campbell informed this paper that Mr. Bangura discussed very personal information relating to the President, Chief Minister and First lady.
All efforts made to reach out to the Minister of Finance, Mr. Sheku Ahmed Fantamadi Bangura and the Chief Minister, Dr. David Sengeh for their responses and comments respectively failed.
This paper is requesting that the Office of the Chief Minister and the Office of the President kindly intervene to thoroughly investigate this matter so that justice will be served. Mr. Campbell further alleged that Mr. Bangura informed him that the program involved a host of other Sierra Leoneans. Our concern is that other innocent Sierra Leoneans may also fall prey to this fake US Scholarship program coordinated by Mr. Bangura if senior authorities do not take swift action. This may taint the image of Sierra Leone given the fact that Mr. Bangura, the current Finance Minister of Sierra Leone, is holding a position of trust in the country and the world.
