Chinese National Arraigned for Fraud

By Alimatu Jalloh

Wuancy Chi has testified before Magistrate Mark Ngegba of Pademba Road Court No.1 against Shaobo Xu who is alleged to fraudulently converted to his own use and benefit  20ft container containing  9,600 kilograms of coal tans valued at over Le1,000,000 (New Leone).

Testifying in court, the witness recognised the accused but not familiar with him as it was the complainant Wahgbin Chen that introduced the accused to her.

In her testimony, she revealed that on March 7, 2022, she transferred the sum of Le160 million (one hundred and sixty million leones to accused) based upon instruction given to her by the complainant.

Chi said that she was at her restaurant at Wilkinson Road when she paid the money in cash to the accused.

She said that the complainant and the accused has business transaction and the complainant was not in town when he ordered her to give the money to the accused.

She said she later made a statement to the police in respect of the matter.

During cross-examination by defense counsel M. Kamara, the witness she said she did not give the accused receipt because she believe that the complainant and the accused has business transaction.

Daniel Fenti Koroma in his testimony also said he knew the accused through the complainant Chen as he is his boss at the factory he is working. 

He furthered that he knew that the complainant and the accused had a transaction and he was present when the complainant usually gave money to the accused.

He said sometimes the complainant would give him money to give the accused for the purpose of shipping his container to China for him.

The witness furthered that after the complainant has paid money to the accused, he handed over his container to the accused for him to ship it to China.

He said after some time the accused went to their factory and there the complainant asked him for the bill of laden and he responded that he had not yet receive it.

The witness when asked by the prosecutor A.S.P Mansaray, said the accused did not ship the container to China because he failed to produce the bill of laden.

He also stated that he made statement to the police.

The prosecutor said he has two witnesses to testify but they are workers of the accused. He said the two witnesses made statements to the police but said they will only be in court if granted permission by the accused.

A.S.P Mansaray therefore made an application for the accused to be detained because he had interfered with the witnesses.

Defense Counsel M. Kamara said his client did not know the witnesses, adding that if they were not stop to make statement at the police station why would he prevent them to come to court.

The application was overruled

The accused Shaobo Xu was before the court on a count of fraudulent conversation contrary to section 20(I)(iv)(a) of The Larceny Act of 1916.

The chargesheet states that the accused on July 3, 2022 at Makeni converted to his own use and benefit one 20ft  container containing 9600 kilograms of coal tan valued at Le1,884,810 (new Leones) and he also obtain US$14,000 (NL 231,000) entrusted to him by Wahgbin Chen for the purpose of delivery to Liqin Cai in China.

At this juncture the matter was adjourned for further hearing.