By: Audrey Raymonda John
Prosecution witness number three Rugiatu Kargbo a nurse has narrated before magistrate Sahr Kekura of Ross Road court No.1 how she was duped the sum of thirty million Leones by one Ibrahim Bangura who promised to facilitate her traveling to Sweden.
Ibrahim Bangura was a former staff of Q. Net which they later change to In Line Network Marketing situated at BaiBurah Road.
The accused is before the court for Preliminary hearings for fraud and obtaining money by fraud country to law.
It was alleged that diverse dates between April and November 2022, at the One Line Network Marketing at BaiBurah Road, the accused obtained the total sum of thirty million Leones with the pretext of facility her traveling to Sweden knowing same to be false.
Led in her examination in chief by Assistant Superintendent of Police Osman Mohamed Bangura, she recognized the accused Ibrahim Bangura as someone she grew up.with at the same area in lungi
She said on diverse dates between April and November 2022, the accused called her bother on the phone requesting to talk to her. Upon receiving that information, she came to lungi to collect her fees when the accused approached her and questioned her what cause she is pursuing.
Complainant said she told the accused that she was doing SRN after which the accused told her he has a program for her to go to Sweden.
Complainant said she told the accused that she is on course, but the accused responded that there is an extension of that same program in Sweden.
Explaining further, complainant said the accused told her that two of his sisters have gone to Sweden. She said she told the accused that she is going to consult her dad Mr. Shebora Kargbo who told her he has no money and that she should consider her nursing cause.
She said her father reminded her that she is on her second year of the nursing cause and did not want anything to disturb her.
Complainant said he convinced her dad that he has known the accused for long and her dad requested to see the accused whom she sent someone to called him.
In continuation of her examination in chief, complainant said the accused arrived and explained same to her dad that he has genuine program to travelling to Sweden. She said her dad embraced the offer but advised the accused that he don’t want anything to distract her education.
She narrated that later, the accused informed that that his sisters have vacancy for nurses at Sweden.
On reaching that point defense counsel invoke section 8 of the Criminal Procedure Act of 1965 and section 190 for the prosecution to provide the statement of the accused which was done by the prosecutor.
In continuation, complainant said the accused gave her dad the phone number of his sister Abibatu Bangura in Sweden. Communicating on line, the person gave his father information about the accused.
Complainant said the accused told her dad that she will have to travel as a student and her dad questioned him as to the amount he should pay.
Complainant said in her presence, the accused requested for the sum of fifty million Leones and after negotiating the accused said they should pay fifteen million and the company he is representing will pay the balance half total to thirty million Leones.
“My dad end up paying the sum of fifteen million Leones to the accused”, she narrated.
Complainant said the accused requested for part of the money which is sum of seven million Leones with her documents and after providing them, he took her to an office called On Line Network Marketing.
She said the accused received the sum of seven million Leones with her documents and introduced her to the men working at the office as his sister.
Complainant said the following week, the accused asked her to come with eight million and he promised to give her the receipt.
The complainant said when she confronted the accused about her documents; he told her that the passport is on process. She said after sometimes, the accused throw her belonging outside and when she asked for her money he said let him take any action she intends to take. Complainant said she went and reported the matter to the police.
Cross Examined by defense counsel Pious Sesay, complainant said she made the report at Kissy police station. Challenging the fact, complainant said what she narrated in court was exact what she told the police at the time she went and reported the matter.
At that point defense counsel applied under section 190 of the Criminal Procedure Act of 1965 for the statement of complainant to be made available to him. The application was granted and in continuation, complainant confirmed that the first time he saw the accused was at their office.
Complainant further answered that it was the accused who she gave the money to directly.
Confronting her with the statement she made to the police, complainant agree for that statement to be tender in evidence but he prosecutor objected , saying the defense should have done that earlier.
After going through the due process, the statement was tendered as exhibits D one to three.
At the end of cross examination defense counsel renewed his application of bail by relying on his previous submission.
The prosecutor objected to bail on the ground of the quantum of money involved. He said the type of offense has become a common play in this country making the society unsafe.
The prosecutor said if granted bail the possibility of the accused to return in court is very slim.
He said the crime itself is am economic one.
Magistrate Sahr Kekura granted the accused bail in the sum of five hundred thousand Leones with two sorties in like sum. He said the sorties should be elderly person. They should produce documents bearing their names and address. He said the bail should be approved by the Deputy Acting Registrar and adjourned the matter to the 8th of May 2023.