By Abass Jalloh
A businessman, Ibrahim Kamara, has been arraigned for allegedly obtaining the sum of Le 30,000,000 (thirty million Leones) from one Abdulai Daramy having promised to refund it at a given time, but failed.
The accused, Kamara, 47, faces one count of Obtaining Money by False Pretence contrary to section 32(1) of the Larceny Act of 1916.
It is alleged that the accused on a date unknown between the 28th April and 15th July 2022, at Lightfoot Boston Street around a popular spot called (Sweissy) in Freetown obtained the said amount from Daramy, the complainant, but failed to pay back.
In his testimony prior to the hearing on Wednesday November 16 at the Pademba Road Court No. 1 in Freetown, N'Faggia Fonti, a prosecuting witness and trader residing at Horton Street, Central, Freetown, said he knew the complainant as a business partner for a very long time and that he came to know the accused four months back when he came to Sweissy with the pretext of buying a vehicle.
He said he did recall sometime in April 2022 during the morning hours when the accused came to him and asked him that he should lend him the sum of OLe 30,000,000 and that after two weeks he would pay back with an interest of OLe 2,000,000 (two million Leones). He said he told the accused that he did not have money but that he decided to call the complainant and explain that the accused had come with a red Datsun vehicle as collateral.
According to the witness, the complainant agreed and gave the money to the accused in his presence but did not pay back as expected.
He said on the 10th July, the accused came to him and told him that he wanted to sell the said vehicle since he hasn’t got the money, adding that he told the accused that he would consult the complainant since he was the one who gave the money.
However, the complainant refused the said idea and reported the issue to the police, he stated.
Under cross-examination on Wednesday November 16, the witness Fonti acknowledged that on the 28th April 2022 they had a transaction with the accused and that the accused left a car to him as collateral for OLe 30,000,000, with the money expected to be paid back on the 14th May 2022.
The lawyer put it to Fonti that he met the accused to tell him that he was interested in buying the car and even tested it and that at some point the accused said he would agree to that. However, the witness denied and said the car was not even licensed.
Fonti said he was at first pleased with the transaction but later became dissatisfied with the process.
The matter comes up again on the 7th December 2022
Copyright © 2022 Politico Online (18/11/22)
