By Hajaratu Kalokoh
Testimonies in the commissions of inquiry on Wednesday have revealed that the former Minister of Political Affairs Kemo Sesay, sold state land to Winners Chapel Church. The land in question, which is situated at Regent Road, Hill Station, belonged to the Ministry of Agriculture before it was reportedly given to Mr Sesay as compensation.
On Wednesday, the Administrative Officer of the church, Femi Renner testified in the William Attuguba Commission. In her testimony, she revealed how much they paid for the one acre piece of land and the circumstances surrounding the deal.
“I am in custody of a conveyance executed between Kemoh and Winners chapel and this conveyance was registered on 8 August 2014. US$ 60,000 was paid for the said land,” she said.
“The church was represented by a lawyer during the sale of the land. I do not know whether Kemoh had a valid private title when conveying the property,” she added.
Renner has served as the Administrative Officer at Winners Chapel for just six months.
This new revelation suggests Kemoh sold the same piece of land for a total of US$130,000 to two different parties. Testimonies in the commission on the same matter earlier on Monday revealed that he had earlier sold the land to Hilal Touffic Kange, a businessman who also testified to buying the land from the minister in 2014.
“I purchased that land from Kemoh Sesay through Lawyer Abu Bakar Turay acting as a state agent for US$75,000 in 2014,” he said.
Musa Tarawally was the Minister of Lands at the time of the transaction. He is a person of interest in this case.
State Counsel, Musa Mewah also presented another witness whose testimony confirms that indeed the land was owned by the Ministry of Agriculture before it was given to Kemoh Sesay by former President Ernest Bai Koroma.
The Component and Laison Manager with the Ministry of Agriculture, William Bangura said in his testimony that he wasn’t aware of any transaction for the land.
‘’I am not aware of any transaction, I just received a verbal instruction from my late boss Sheku Mansaray that the nursery at Regent Road, Hill Station has been relocated to Kent,” he told the hearing.
These revelations are part of a deeper probe about state lands that were claimed, taken and sold during the Koroma administration.
The matter has since been adjourned till this Monday.
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