By: Audrey Raymonda John
Josephine Pessima a business woman made her first appearance before magistrate Mark Ngegba of Pademba Road Court no 1 in Freetown and was remanded in custody for obtaining money from the complainant by falsely pretending that she will facilitate her travel from Sierra Leone to Germany.
The accused was arraigned before the court on six count charges ranging conspiracy to defraud contrary to law, obtaining money by false pretenses and causing money to be paid by means of fraud all contrary to the laws of Sierra Leone.
The charge sheet indicated that the accused on a date unknown between 1 and 31 July, 2022 at Kissy in Freetown conspired with other persons unknown to defraud Rugiatu Fofanah the sum of forty-three million Leones with the pretext that she will facilitate the traveling of her and her daughter to Dubai and Germany for job opportunity knowing same to be false.
Led in evidence by Sergeant 8975 Ibrahim Bangura, the witness number one
Rugiatu Fofanah said she recognized the accused in the dock as they stay in the same compound.
She recalled on the said date, adding that she was at home in the morning hours when the accused met her saying that her fiancé lives in Dubai and he is engaged on traveling process.
She furthered that the accused then told her that she should join in the process and she will make her daughter travel to Dubai to work at a factory that is producing chocolate.
The witness said she then agreed and she gave the sum of twenty million old Leones to the accused for my daughter to travel to Dubai.
Witness Fofanah continues that after weeks, the accused came with her phone saying that the visa for her daughter is out and she was excited and the witness asked her again to give her another twenty three million Leones for her travel to Germany and she also gave her the said money.
The witness furthered that after a week again the accused met her saying that the Dubai Country have block Sierra Leoneans from traveling.
At this juncture the prosecutor sought for a date to have proper conference with the witness.
Defense Counsel Jimmy Smith made an application for bail on behalf of the accused by citing section 79(3) of the CPA of 1965. The accused was refuse bail and the matter was adjourned to the 13th November 2023 for continuation.
