By Alimatu Jalloh
One Aminata Dainkeh who identified herself as staff of the National Social Security and Insurance Trust (NASSIT), yesterday testified against one Aloysius Borbor Barbar who is arraigned on 84 counts of fraud.
She recognised the accused and recalled July 15, 2019.
The witness said that she was in her customer care office at the West Region NASSIT office when the accused approached and informed her that he had not been receiving his benefit.
“When he informed me about his issue, I asked him few questions including whose benefits he was receiving. He told me it was his wife Amie Mary Tua who is now a deceased,” she said.
She said upon receiving the information from him, she referred the accused to her supervisor.
“I was later called upon and I made statement to the police in respect of the matter,” he said.
During cross-examination by defense lawyer Tasmid D. Rhodes, the accused approached her in February 2019 in the morning hours, adding that the accused was not consistent in answering questions.
The witness said when such cases are taken, they made request for documents including bank statements, Identification cards amongst others.
At this juncture the matter was adjourned to January 9, 2023, for further hearing.
It could be recalled that the accused was charged to court on 84 counts ranging from conspiracy to defraud, forgery, altering forged document, making false statement, furnishing false statements and causing money to be paid contrary to the laws of Sierra Leone.
According to the particulars of the offense, the accused on a date unknown between the 15th July,2019 and 23rd February 2021, in the Kakua Chiefdom, Bo Judicial District in the southern province of the Republic of Sierra Leone, with intent to defraud conspired with other persons unknown and allegedly defrauded the National Social Security and Insurance Trust (NASSIT) and obtained survivors benefit by forging certificates of Native Marriage.
In count two and three it is alleged that the accused on the same date and place with intent to defraud forged and altered one certificate of Native Marriage with receipt number 61272/09 purporting that it was prepared by the Bo District Council.
In count four it is alleged that the accused made false statements that Amie Mary Tua now deceased was his wife, knowing same to be false. In count five the accused made pretext of being the husband of the deceased while claiming survivors benefit knowing same to be false.
The accused Aloysius Borbor Barbar caused the Trust to pay Millions of Leones to him after he purported to be the legally wedded husband of the late Amie Mary Tua.