United Bank for Africa Sierra Leone (UBA) has praised the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and the judiciary for securing what it described as a landmark conviction in a high-profile public finance fraud case involving its former head of operations Frederick Caulker.
In a statement following the judgment, UBA’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Mohamed Alhajie Samoura commended both institutions for what he called a swift, professional and thorough prosecution that reinforces accountability in the financial sector. The statement followed formal notification from the ACC dated January 19, 2026, confirming the conclusion of proceedings.
Frederick Caulker was found guilty on four counts of corruption relating to the misappropriation of nearly two billion old leones in public funds belonging to the National Revenue Authority (NRA).
According to the ACC, the funds comprising PAYE and withholding taxes paid by the Small Holder Commercialization Agri-Business Development Project (SCADeP) were unlawfully diverted from a designated NRA account into unauthorized channels by Caulker.
UBA, for its part, stated that its internal controls ultimately detected the irregularities and they promptly reported the matter.
“UBA reported the irregularities to the authorities after internal controls detected the transactions,” the bank said in a statement. Managing Director and CEO Mohamed Alhajie Samoura described the outcome as proof that “the bank does not compromise on integrity.”
Although Caulker had fled to the United States where his family had relocated, the ACC still pursued the matter to its conclusion.
The trial judge sentenced Caulker to 40 years’ imprisonment, 10 years on each count, to run consecutively. In the alternative, he was fined NLe 100,000 per count, amounting to NLe400,000. The court also ordered full restitution of NLe 1,980,233.40 to the state.
ACC Commissioner Francis Ben Kaifala said the Commission would take further steps to ensure enforcement, including arrest and extradition proceedings and the sale of Caulker’s Wellington property, which was reportedly falsely claimed by his father.
Reaffirming UBA’s position, Samoura said the outcome vindicated the bank’s zero-tolerance approach to misconduct. “This verdict validates the strength of our internal control systems and our refusal to compromise on integrity. UBA remains a transparent institution where public funds are protected and accountability is non-negotiable,” he said.
