By:Audrey Raymonda John
Amilia Williams yesterday made her second appearance before the principal Magistrate of the Freetown Magistrate Court no 1 Magistrate Mark Ngegba as she was dragged to court for obtaining over one hundred million Leones from an Immigration officer for travelling purposes.
Testifying on oath, the witness Jestina Kutubu Immigration officer recognized the accused and recall them between 1 December 2022 and 31 March 2023.
She said in December she was at her office when her friend Hawa Rogers called her to meet her at the Central police station canteen which she complied.
She further that upon her arrival Hawa told her that there is a program for Australia and America and told her that she is interested as she wants to travel with her family members.
She said Hawa then told her that the accused is the one heading the program and they both went to the accused who explain to her what she needs to do about the travelling process.
Kutubu further that on the next day, the accused and Hawa went to her office and she asked them to go to Victoria Park she later meets them and paid the sum of sixty million Leones to the accused in the presence of Hawa and she also gave the accused six passports for her and her siblings.
She said two weeks later, her friend Hawa met her at her office and gave her another forty million Leones and four passports to give the accused the accused confirmed to her that she has received the said money and the passports and the accused told her that she is working on their documents and even told her that there is more space for people.
The witness further that she then told her colleagues in the office and three of them said they were interested and they gave her thirty million Leones with three passports to her and she also gave the said money to Hawa to give the accused who later confirm receiving the money and the passports.
Kutubu continue that as time goes by she call the accused to know what was happening and the accused told her that she has taken their books and submitted them at the America Embassy after two weeks again the accused called her telling her that the children need to go for medical and she should pay the sum of thirteen million five hundred and for them which she did, adding that the children were taken to Waterloo for medical and she pays another extra of two million, five hundred Leones for a yellow card.
She said since then the accused has given her a lot of excuses and she made a report at the Criminal Investigation Department Pademba court and a statement was obtained from her.
After her testimony defence, Counsel Jimmy Smith renew his previous bail application on behalf of the accused but was refused by the Magistrate.
She was remanded in custody until 19 July 2023 for further hearing.
The accused was standing trial before the court on eighteen counts of charges ranging from conspiracy to defraud contrary to law, obtaining money by false pretences, causing money to be paid, obtaining chattel by false pretences contrary to section 32 1 of the Larceny Act 1916 and other related charged all contrary to the laws of Sierra Leone.
According to the charge sheet, the accused Amilia Williams between the 1st December 2022 and the 31st March 2023, at Victoria Park in Freetown with intent to defraud conspired together with another person unknown to defraud Jestina Kutubu of the sum of one hundred and seventy-three million, five hundred thousand Leones by falsely pretending that she will facilitate a trip for her and her relatives, Alice Wango Kutubu, Jestina Bangura, Elizabeth Kamara and Ramatu Turay to Australia and America for job opportunity knowing to be false.
The police further alleged that the accused on the said date at the Immigration office, Gloucester Street Freetown, with intent to defraud obtained Chattel, to wit republic of Sierra Leone Passport number ER183345 from Jestina Kutubu bearing the name of Amara Thoronka, Moyatu Jusu. Khadijah Binti Kamara, Yealie Stalled Sesay, Mohamed Lansana Ramatu Turay, and Mohamed Bangura falsely pretend that she will facilitate their trip to Australia and America knowing also to be false.