By: Audrey Raymonda John
Dr. Richard Konteh appeared before Justice Manuela Harding at the Freetown High Court on Tuesday, 17 February 2026, in a case brought by the plaintiff, Marie Sesay, regarding the recovery of two town plots of land at Mamah Street, Gloucester, Freetown.
During the proceedings, Dr. Konteh confirmed that his bank account details appear on three separate receipts of payment made by Marie Sesay for the land, dated 25 March 2010. The receipts were shown to him as Exhibit A21-3 by the plaintiff’s lawyer, Augustine Sengu Marrah, and Dr. Konteh acknowledged their authenticity.
Dr. Konteh testified that the land transaction began in 2009, at which time he was both a businessman and Minister of Finance and Economic Development. He stated that he provided his bank account details to the plaintiff to facilitate payments for the property.
He further explained that Marie Sesay did not physically see the property in Gloucester because she was out of the country, but he sent her a copy of the survey plan. When asked whether the survey plan had been presented to the court, Dr. Konteh said it had not. He confirmed that he procured conveyance for the plaintiff in 2011, despite her absence.
During cross-examination, Dr. Konteh could not recall whether the plaintiff had been shown a piece of land in 2013, while he was Chief of Staff at State House, which she allegedly rejected due to the property’s sloping terrain.
He also confirmed his awareness of the relationship between the plaintiff and Abdulai Baratay, who was working with him, but denied any involvement in complaints made by the plaintiff or receiving an additional $2,000 for a perimeter fence. Dr. Konteh stated that his bank account had limited access at certain times, preventing him from fully accessing the funds.
During the proceedings, the plaintiff’s lawyer concluded cross-examination. The defense counsel, Lawyer Gbondo, attempted to lead fresh evidence but was overruled by the court following objections from the plaintiff’s counsel. Dr. Konteh had no further questions to address, and the matter was adjourned to 24 February 2026 for continuation.
The plaintiff, Marie Sesay, is seeking the recovery of the two town plots at Mamah Street Gloucester, as well as $2,000 paid for a perimeter fence, in addition to the $8,000 payment already made to Dr. Konteh’s U.S. bank account.