By: Audrey Raymonda John
Andrew Danny Stephanus Lahia appeared before Magistrate John Manso Fornah at the Pademba Road Court No. 2 in Freetown on Monday, August 11, 2025, facing a five-count charge related to fraud and forgery. The charges include conspiracy to defraud, obtaining money by false pretenses, forgery, and uttering a forged document, all in violation of sections of the Forgery Act of 1913.
According to police records, Lahia allegedly conspired with unknown individuals to defraud Isata Koroma between April 4 and April 20, 2025, at Satish Drive, Juba, Freetown. The accused is said to have falsely claimed that he could secure U.S. visas and facilitate travel for Koroma’s relatives to the United States. He is accused of obtaining $21,000 (equivalent to 504,000 New Leones) from Koroma on April 4, 2025, and $71,000 (equivalent to 1,704,000 New Leones) from her on April 20, 2025 under similar false pretenses.
The fourth and fifth counts of the charges relate to Lahia’s alleged involvement in forging and uttering a U.S. visa for Esther Bintu Samba, with the control number 20251847360005, on May 30, 2025. The visa was purported to have been issued by the U.S. Embassy, but police allege it was fraudulent.
When the charges were read to the accused, no plea was taken.
During the proceedings, Alfred Inga Bangura, an IT specialist and the complainant’s brother, testified. He confirmed that Isata Koroma (his elder sister) and Lahia were business partners. Bangura recalled that, on the aforementioned dates, Isata sent over $21,000 to Lahia via a third party named Simbo. Bangura claimed he was present when Simbo handed the money to Lahia at Campbell Street. He further stated that he personally drafted a receipt for the transaction, which both he and Lahia signed. Bangura also took a snapshot of the document, which he intended to submit as evidence.
During the proceedings, Prosecutor ASP Willington requested a short adjournment, while Defense Counsel AR Gbla Esq. applied for bail on behalf of the accused. However, Magistrate Fornah refused bail due to the seriousness of the charges and adjourned the case until August 15, 2025 for further hearings.