By Alimatu Jalloh
Magistrate Aaron Bangura, attached to Daru Magistrate Court, has testified before Magistrate Isata Sellu Tucker of the Pademba Road Court No. 2 that he witnessed a payment of Le 70,000 (NLe70,000) to Foday Bangura and Mohamed Islam Tarawally in respect of land located at Russell Peninsular Road in Freetown.
The accused persons had been charged for conspiring and obtaining money by false pretenses.
The police are alleging that Foday Bangura and Mohamed Islam Tarawally, on diverse dates between January 31 and May 30, 2022 at Russell on Peninsular Road in Freetown obtained Le 140,000,000 (Old Leones) from the complainant, Adekallie Bangura falsely pretending that they had four town lot for sale.
The charge sheet furthered that both of the accused persons on the abovementioned dates and place conspired with unknown persons to obtain seventy thousand Leones (NLe70) from the complainant feigning that they had a land for sale knowing same to be false.
In continuation of his evidence, Magistrate Aaron Bangura said recognised the complainant Abdul Kalalie Kamara as well as the accused in respect of land transaction. He said that he could on diverse dates between January 31, and May 30, 2022 a friend, Ansu Foday Kaikai residing in the United States of America asked him to witness a land transaction.
Magistrate Bangura said that he met with the complainant who was acting on his friends’ behalf.
The witness said the complainant identified the land situated at Russell Peninsular Road in Freetown and added that when he came into the transaction, negotiation had already been completed.
He said after he made enquiries from one Musa Thomas, he confirmed to him that the property in question belonged to the accused persons and that they intended to sell it to the complainant on behalf of Mr. Kaikai.
‘My Lady, I visited the land for inspection and discovered that there were four town lots valued at one hundred thousand and forty Leones (NLe1040),” he emphasised.
On May 30, 2022 he said he witnessed the final payment of seventy thousand leones (NLe70,000) to the accused in Waterloo.
The witness said the accused then issued a receipt to the complainant in acknowledgment of the payments they received and he signed as a witness to the transaction.
The witness then stated that he made a statement to the police.
During cross examination by Defence Counsel, the witness affirmed that in his eight years of standing at the bar, he had been dealing with similar transaction and that he had been doing due diligence throughout his practice.
The witness also confirmed that it was because of his due diligence that he participated in the said transaction.
He also confirmed that he also verified the “title deed” of the land before he participated in the transaction.
When it was put to him by Lawyer Cole that it was the strength of the verification which prompted him to partake in the transaction the witness responded in the affirmative.
The witness also mentioned that Musa Thomas, the first and second accused were the sellers in the transaction.
The accused were remanded and the matter was adjourned to 19th September, 2022 for further hearing.