By: Mohamed Sahr
Criminal Investigation Department of the Sierra Leone Police has arrested a man with fake twenty-two notes of one million Dollars during an emergency response call at the Sierra Palm Hotel.
This was brought to the knowledge of the media during a press briefing held on Tuesday 7th March 2023 at the Police Headquarter.
Fritzlnun Joshua Moosa, Operations Officer at the Criminal Investigation Department Headquarter said on Friday 3rd March 2023, one Mohamed Mahmund Ahmad Lalabie resident of Juba was found in possession of twenty-two notes of one million Dollars which was suspected to be fake money with the pretext of sorting himself out for days in the Sierra Palm Hotel along the beach road area.
Joshua Moosa revealed that the suspect booked a room at the same hotel where he decided to spend a day or two.
“The moment he came down the restaurant to have a drink, he removed one note of the one million Dollar telling the waiters that he had got money to pay for his bills,’’ Moosa said.
He furthered that the waiters became suspicious of the fact that the actual money could be fake notes; adding that the management immediately made a call to the police for a swift response.
Joshua Moosa mentioned that after a thorough interrogation, the suspect refused to explain the source of the money. He stated that the suspect was later arrested with the money and brought to the police for ongoing investigation.
Moosa affirmed that the money was later sent to the Central Bank in order to examine the authenticity of the money:
POLICE OFFICER MURDERED IN COLD BLOOD
In another episode, Joshua Moosa also furthered that the Criminal Investigation Department is currently investigating an alleged case of murder reported by one Desmond Johnson a resident of Woodland Estate off Signal Hill Road that a police officer by the name of Samuel Abubakar Kargbo was dreadfully found lying in a pool of blood. He noted that the police officer was quickly taken to the 34 Hospital where he eventually passed away.
Moosa stated that the deceased man was taken to the Connaught Hospital for autopsy examination. “According to sources, Samuel Abubakar Kargbo and Mohamed Samura were instructed at 22 hundred hours by one Tamba Daniel Moiwah also known as Tee Boy who is a car dealer told him to proceed to Radisson Blu to collect the sum of twenty thousand Dollars from someone whom he had made transaction with. They drove to Radisson Blu and coincidentally met one Sesay in a white Dutch charger vehicle and drove off,’’ Moosa disclosed.
He said Mohamed Samura is under police custody helping them with investigation after the report of the autopsy examination.
Mohamed Brima Jah, Assistant Inspector General of Police in another important security update, said the Sierra Leone Police is in full readiness ahead of the multi-tier general elections in terms of recruitment and joint deployment with the military sector in order to enhance calmness even before and after elections.
He revealed that they had recruited one thousand police personnel across the country for professional and robust policing. AIG Brima Jah stated that the patrol team would be divided into two parts for effective day and night patrolling especially across the western area.
“We are actually going to provide security for areas where there have been minority oppression and sectional division,” Brima Jah said.
Victor Manfred Williams, Commissioner of Police and Regional Commander Freetown-West said the entire community in the Freetown-West is relatively calm and quiet; adding that people are busy doing their normal business whiles enjoying the peaceful atmosphere. He urged Sierra Leoneans to stay away from violence. Commissioner Williams said people should refrain from making illegal gatherings with the view of campaigning or otherwise as ECSL has not declared campaign period open yet.
Brima Bangura, Representative of the Regional Commander Freetown –East said they had embarked on massive patrols and at the same time making effective monitoring of various checkpoints during the days and nights. He revealed that they had a case of alleged Poro society initiation which the police is currently investigating.