By: Audrey Raymonda John
25yrs old Francis Sahr Mbayo, an Entrepreneur, and 24yrs old Susan Alieu, a business woman, have made another appearance before Magistrate Hadiru K Daboh of Ross Road Court No.3 in Freetown on four court charges one count of Conspiracy to defraud contrary to law and three count ranging from Obtaining money by false pretenses contrary to section 32 (1) of the Larceny Act of 1916.
According to the particulars of offence, on a date unknown between the 1st February to 31st August 2022 at Wellington the western area in Freetown, both conspired together and with other persons unknown to defraud Naomi Koroma.
On count two on a date unknown between 1st February to 31st August 2022, at the Producing Marketing Board (PMB) junction Wellington, in the Western Area in Freetown with intent to defraud obtained the sum of eight thousand five hundred Leones New Leones (8,500) from the said complainant by falsely pretending that he would facilitate her travelling to Washington Dc United States of America, knowing same to be untrue.
The charges were read and explained to the accused person and no plea was taken.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Fatmata Kuyateh, intrerrogated the prosecution. The prosecution witness number one Naomi Koroma said she is unemployed, she recognized the accused persons from her village called Gandon Banie Chiefdom Kono District. She recalled that on the 1st to 31st August 2022, she was in Freetown at her house when something transpired between herself and the accused persons for which they are in court.
The witness continued that she was in Gandon one day when her Ex-boyfriend the younger brother of the Accused person, called and informed her that he is in the United States of America and wanted to go and to meet him in America.
She said her ex-boyfriend also told her the amount of money to pay for the trip which is fifteen Million Leones and he is ready to help her with six million Leones as his own contribution. The witness said the brother of the accused asked him to send nine million Leones she went and informed her father about the proposal.
The witness furthered that one Emmanuel Junisa transferred the sum of six million Leones to the bank account and she came to Freetown and she withdrew it and handed it over to the accused person at PMB junction Wellington. The witness said herself and the accused person went to Fannah off Jui where he paid the money to someone she didn’t know on their way the accused person told her that she has failed the interview.
The witness also disclosed that the accused told her father to complete the money for her travelling and his father transferred additional sum of five hundred thousand Leones to the accused person in her presence and her father told her elder brother to assist them with one million Leones to be added to the five hundred which he did.
The witness also revealed that the accused person told her about an outstanding amount of three million Leones and also advised her not to inform her father about it among other related issues.
The witness said she didn’t inform her father, the witness further stated that her father assisted her with five hundred thousand Leones which she handed over to a lady called Top Marion.
After all the financial transactions, the witness said the accused advised her to say good bye with the pretext of travelling to the United States. The witness unearthed that she stayed at the residence of the accused person at Peak up Farm Wellington. She said the wife of the accused also told her to say farewell to her father and elder brother that her trip to the United States of America is successful which she did also. The witness said she later reported the matter to the Kaibara Police Station after she has realized that the entire travel deal was a scam.
The witness was cross examined by the accused persons and Magistrate Daboh granted the accused persons bail in the sum of ninety thousand Leones with one surety each to be resident in Freetown. The bail was approved by the Deputy Assistant Registrar and the matter was adjourned to the 16th February 2023 for further hearing.