By: Audrey Raymonda John
Samuel Casangnell Macarthy, a student, has been remanded at the Male Correctional Centre in Freetown by Magistrate Mustapha Brima Jah of Pademba Road Court No. 1 on five counts, including forgery, uttering forged documents, and obtaining money by false pretenses.
The charges include two counts of forgery, contrary to Section 4(1) of the Forgery Act 1913; two counts of uttering forged documents, contrary to Section 6(1) of the same Act; and one count of obtaining money by false pretenses, contrary to Section 32(1) of the Larceny Act 1916.
According to the particulars of offence, on Thursday, 19 February 2026, at the Fourah Bay College campus in Freetown, Western Area, the accused allegedly forged student fee payment receipts for Fourah Bay College in the name of Isha Carew, bearing transaction ID 70649069890214, dated 19 February 2026. The document was purported to have been issued by the University of Sierra Leone, knowing it to be false.
Count two further stated that on the same date and place, the defendant allegedly forged another student fee payment receipt in the name of Fatima Musa Turay, with transaction ID 70731069890223, also purportedly issued by Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone, despite knowing it was forged.
Count three stated that on the same date and location, the defendant allegedly uttered the forged receipt in the name of Isha Carew, with transaction ID 70649069890214, knowing it to be false.
Count four repeated similar allegations that the defendant allegedly uttered the same forged document in the name of Isha Carew, with the same transaction details, knowing it to be fraudulent.
Count five stated that between 1 and 28 February 2026, at the same location, the defendant allegedly obtained the sum of Le 8,980 from Isha Carew by falsely claiming he would provide a genuine Fourah Bay College fee payment receipt, knowing the representation to be false.
When the charges were read and explained to the defendant, no plea was taken as the matter is at the committal stage of proceedings.
Prosecutor Chief Superintendent of Police Tommy B. Zizer Esq. informed the court that the defendant had been served with copies of his witness statement.
Magistrate Jah refused bail due to the seriousness of the offences and ordered that the defendant be remanded in custody.
The matter was adjourned to 18 May 2026 for further hearing.