By: Ilyasa Baa
As the festive season approaches, people have been warned to be careful not to be duped by 419ers in the car dealing enterprise in Sierra Leone where many cases of duping have been reported sometimes prosecuted in a court of law.
The Vice President of the Motor Vehicle Dealers Union, Mohamed Alhaji Sow has called on members of the public to be watchful noting that criminals are out there knocking on the doors of those that want to purchase cars. He advised those that want to sell their cars to go to valid dealers who can help sell their cars without any problem.
He said there is a disciplinary committee within the Union that sometimes call in their legal advisers to fix up 419 cases reported to the Union. He said the office in Bo covers the entire Eastern Region whilst the one in Makeni covers the North. He added that the 419ers are in the habit of using the internet or sometimes appear physically in a person who has got all the necessary details about the person they want to dupe. He condemned the act of writing for sale on vehicles instead of involving Union members who are experienced in the deal.
He called on those who have not registered with the Union to do so as soon as possible so that the enterprise flourishes without the involvement of 419ers who he said are trying to bring insanity to the enterprise.
It could be recalled that the organization of Motor Dealers had existed since September 1996 headed by then by one Mr Gadiru Barrie but the organization metamorphosed in the cause of time into the existing Union which is contributing to the consolidated fund in tax.