By Audrey John
One Alhaji Sorie Conteh 39yrsold a trader made another appearance before the principal Magistrate Sahr Kekura of Pademba Road Court No.1 in Freetown for obtaining money by false pretenses.
The accused was before the court on four counts charges ranging from obtaining money by false pretenses Contrary to Section 32(1) of the larceny Act 1916.
It was alleged that the accused Alhaji Sorie Conteh on Tuesday 12 TG January 2021 through Ria money transfer from the United states of America to Freetown with intent to defraud obtained the sum of ten million and twenty six thousand Leones from Ragiatu Lahai by falsely pretending that you were going to buy two acres of land for her at Bo stadium area Bo and sometime to prepare conveyance in respect of the said land knowing same to be false And on the ten December 2020 with intent to defraud the sum of ten million and twenty six thousand Leone and on the same date the accused obtained the sum of thrity one million Leone from Ragiatu Lahai through Sallieu Koroma into your account number 401061670 at Zenith bank Sierra Leone the accused also obtained the sum of nineteen million two hundred and sixty thousand Leone from the Complainant Ragiatu Lahai.
Rugiatu Lahai who identified herself as a nurse from the United states of America she knows the accused through one of her relatives Musa Kamara and recalled in December 2020 to January 2021 she narrated that she was shipped some use thing from USA to Sierra Leone and her brother Musa Kamara call her and the accused from her to do business the accused person the accused spoke to me through phone and I told him have already shipped twenty feet container and he told the accused to meet one Mohamed Daboh who have already giving power of Attorney she stated that she shipped four containers worth one hundred and twenty million Leones and he gave me fifty million and it remains seventy million in the hands of the accused person.
She continued that she told the accused that they should open a shop and I further told him to use the remaining money to open the said shop I told him about after all that process I shipped another two forty feet from USA and two twenty feet from China and later on the accused told her that he seeing a pickle of lad one arch at Bo Stadium and I sent sixty three million Leone for him to purchase the land and the accused also ask for documentation fee for the said land and I sent three hundred United state dollars to the accused receipt of all the said transactions was produced for identification in court.
And I sent Mr Mohamed Daboh to get the documents and the accused told him he did not have any documents for him and even the did not belong to her and I travel from the state to Freetown and I made report at Criminal investigating Department (CID) headquarter.
The witness was Cross examined by defense counsel J M Jengo however Magistrate Kekura adjourned the matter to the 22nd for defense counsel to continue cross examination while the bail of the accused person continue ASP Davies Cole Esq prosecuting the matter.
