By: Audrey Raymonda John
38-year-old Andrew Danny Stephanus Lahai appeared before Magistrate John Manso Fornah at Pademba Road Magistrate Court No. 2 in Freetown, facing five charges including Obtaining Money by False Pretenses, contrary to Section 32(1) of the Larceny Act of 1916.
According to police records, on 8th September 2022, at No. 3 Elizabeth Street, Freetown, the accused, with intent to defraud, obtained Four Hundred and Fifty-Six Thousand Leones from Oliver Macfoy by falsely claiming he could facilitate travel arrangements for Macfoy’s wife and two children to Canada.
When the charges were read and explained, the accused did not enter a plea.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Sorie Conteh led the testimony of Victoria Johnson, an accountant at the University of Sierra Leone, who identified the accused in court.
Johnson said she met the accused through a man named Martin at Elizabeth Street. She recalled meetings on 21st August 2022 and 31st March 2024, during which Martin discussed a travel program and arranged for her to meet Lahai.
She explained that her husband was the first to meet the accused to verify the legitimacy of the program. After the meeting, her husband informed her that the program seemed genuine and that he had scheduled an appointment to make the first payment.
Johnson testified that the next day, she, her husband, and Martin handed over Forty-Five Thousand New Leones to the accused. Lahai assured them that receipts would be issued for all deposits and provided one for the initial payment. She stated that, given time, she could produce this receipt in court.
She added that the accused also requested six passport photographs, which they provided since the program was meant for six people. Following this, she began receiving emails from individuals identifying themselves as Trembley, Cassandra, Mark, Diana, and others, who promised updates on the program’s progress. However, the promised dates never materialized, and a scheduled biometric appointment was eventually canceled.
The police prosecutor requested a short adjournment to allow the submission of these emails as part of the court record.
Magistrate Fornah remanded the accused to the Male Correctional Center in Freetown. The case was adjourned to 26th September 2025.