By Audrey Raymonda John
Two land surveyors Ahmed Mansaray (39) and Maligie Kanu (33)made their first appearance before Magistrate Augustine Brima Samura at Pademba Road Court No. 8 on multiple charges, including conspiracy, forgery, and uttering forged documents.
The accused are facing seven counts: Count 1: Conspiracy to commit a crime contrary to law.
Counts 2–4: Forgery contrary to Section 2(1)(a) of the Forgery Act of 1913
Counts 5–7: Uttering forged documents contrary to Section 6(1)(2) of the Forgery Act of 1913
According to the particulars of the offense, between June 10th and 12th, 2025, at the Youyi Building in Brookfields, Freetown, the two accused, along with unknown individuals, allegedly conspired to forge National Revenue Authority (NRA) survey bill receipts.
The forged receipts linked to land survey plans with LS Numbers NA 35205, NA 34125, and NA 32201 each falsely indicated a cash payment of Le53 purportedly made by Isatu Isha Dumbuya.
Furthermore, the accused allegedly knowingly and fraudulently submitted these forged NRA receipts to the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Country Planning (MLHCP) at Youyi Building, intending for them to be treated as genuine documents.
Led by Assistant Commissioner of Police Joan M.S. Bull and Detective Police Constable 14898 Joseph Lamin Dumbuya, the prosecution called its first witness, Abraham Cooper, Deputy Director of Surveys at the Ministry of Lands.
Cooper identified both accused as support staff at the Ministry. He recalled that on June 10, 2025, the first accused, Ahmed Mansaray, submitted three survey plans along with attachments to charting officer Charles Senesie via his assistant, Paul Turay. Senesie flagged the NRA receipts as suspicious due to the absence of an OTP (One-Time Password) number, a security feature electronically generated by the NRA for official payments.
Upon investigation, the accused admitted to submitting the documents. When questioned about the origin of the receipts, Mansaray claimed that the second accused, Maligie Kanu, issued them an allegation Kanu denied when summoned.
Cooper stated that the matter was immediately referred to the Environmental Crime Unit at CID Headquarters for further investigation. The receipts, dated March 24 and 25, 2025, were handed over to the police, and the documents have since remained in the Ministry’s custody.
Defense counsel A.O. Gbla objected to the tendering of the NRA receipts, arguing that Cooper was not the author, recipient, or rightful custodian of the documents. However, the prosecution countered that Cooper, as Deputy Director and custodian of the files, was within his legal right to tender the evidence.
In his ruling, Magistrate Samura upheld the prosecution’s argument, stating that Cooper qualified as a lawful custodian since the documents were submitted to his department for registration. Consequently, the receipts were accepted into evidence and formally tendered as part of court records.
Cooper further testified that the accused were handed over to the police for investigation, and that he made a formal statement. The original survey plan documents were also produced and tendered in court.
After cross-examination by defense counsel A.O. Gbla, Magistrate Samura refused bail and remanded both accused to the Male Correctional Centre in Freetown. The matter was adjourned to July 17, 2025, for the original survey plans to be tendered.