Serious allegations of fraud involving more than US$234,000 have surfaced in Sierra Leone, with claims implicating Admire Jalloh Bio, niece of President Julius Maada Bio, former Northern Region Resident Minister Abu Abu Koroma, and the Italian Consul in Sierra Leone in a controversial gold transaction involving two foreign investors.Documents and testimonies obtained by this medium suggest that the incident involves two Italian investors operating under the company ALFIP Limited, a legally registered firm in Sierra Leone engaged in the trade of gold and other extractive commodities. According to accounts provided by the investors and documents reviewed by this medium, the two businessmen were introduced to Admire Jalloh Bio through the Italian Consul for the purpose of purchasing gold locally. The investors said they were assured that Mrs. Jalloh Bio could facilitate the supply of gold.Following a series of meetings and discussions, the parties allegedly reached an agreement for the purchase of ten parcels of gold.The investors claim that on August 8, 2025, they paid a total of US$234,200 in cash to Mrs. Jalloh Bio at her residence in Freetown after what they described as several prior engagements leading to the transaction.However, the investors allege that shortly after receiving the gold parcels, they were violently confronted by a group of men near the premises. According to their account, the men forcefully seized the box containing the ten parcels of gold and also confiscated their mobile phones.The investors say they attempted to return to Mrs. Jalloh Bio’s residence to seek her intervention but claim that they were prevented from entering the compound by security personnel.They further allege that after the incident they faced intimidation and harassment, including the freezing of their accounts by the Financial Intelligence Unit, which they believe was intended to pressure them into abandoning the matter.The investors also claim that the Italian Consul, who initially connected them to Mrs. Jalloh Bio, failed to intervene when the dispute arose despite several appeals for assistance.In a further development, the investors allege that former Resident Minister Abu Abu Koroma later approached them and promised to help them recover either their money or the gold. According to their testimony, Mr. Koroma requested US$15,000 to facilitate the process, which they say they paid.However, the investors claim that since receiving the money, Mr. Koroma has allegedly become unreachable and no progress has been made toward resolving the matter.Attempts by this medium to contact Abu Abu Koroma for comment were unsuccessful as phone calls and messages sent to him were not returned as of press time.When contacted regarding the allegations, Admire Jalloh Bio denied defrauding the investors and instead described them as “thieves.” She however did not deny that she had engaged in business transactions with them.Efforts to reach the Italian Consul for comment were unsuccessful at the time of publication.The matter has raised concerns among observers about disputes surrounding gold transactions and the protection of foreign investors operating in Sierra Leone’s mineral sector.Investigations into the allegations are ongoing, and this medium will continue to follow developments as more information becomes available.