By Alpha Abu
A Cameroonian businessman Clement Chi on Tuesday 13 July 2021 summoned journalists to a briefing at SLAJ headquarters in Freetown in which he narrated how SIMCHI General Trading Company based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates was swindled close to $400,000 in Sierra Leone by a group of Sierra Leoneans.
At the briefing featured a PowerPoint presentation detailing pictorial evidence of the company’s engagement and transaction at diverse dates with the suspected Sierra Leonean individuals, Chi expressed dismay at the way the Criminal Investigations Department in Freetown earlier treated the matter from its onset by ignoring all appeals to apprehend the suspects even when they had been provided with overwhelming evidence. He however praised the efforts of the Anti -Corruption Commission (ACC) boss Francis Ben Kaifala whom he said is a patriot that Sierra Leoneans should be proud to have.
The people named in what was an alleged gold scam ring comprised one National Mineral Agency (NMA) worker, Daniel Kapir Sesay, Fatmata Bumporo Sesay who reportedly invited the Dubai Company to Freetown for a gold business, Gibril Fofana, Mohamed Fofanah, Lydia Kuma, Moses Osman Sesay and Mohamed Suma.
According to the businessman, himself and some helpful Sierra Leoneans succeeded in apprehending a number of the alleged fraudsters, which he claimed the CID failed to do. He said his impression was that officers at the CID were unwilling to enforce arrest, and explained how he personally had to use a fake Facebook account and arrest the NMA worker who was moving about freely in Freetown. The men were then taken into custody by the ACC, charged, and released on bail pending further investigations.
Police AIG Brima Jah was the only person who was singled out for showing great concern over the matter when it reportedly came to his knowledge. He said the officer was visibly angry and after requesting the file, he then assigned the case to a special unit called SIB and Interpol, to conduct investigations “under his direct command”.
Chi stated: “SIB brought much hope in the investigation as major steps were taken to track down these criminals”. He also commended staff at the Financial Intelligence Unit for their cooperation in supplying uncompromised information when contacted.
Chi presented a comprehensive account of how contact with the group started in January and though he admitted his company might have unknowingly overlooked certain protocols, yet he presented photos of other procedures that he said SIMICHI duly followed, including a National Revenue Authority (NRA) receipt. He emphatically stated one of the suspects Serry being a staff of NMA which is a government institution gave the company confidence to do gold business with the group. He said the NMA worker had told them the Sierra Leoneans were business people who have government approval.
According to Chi, Serry solicited and got $5,000 that he said was for the Mines Minister, a claim later disputed by Edmond Abu of Native Consortium whose institution coordinated the press conference. Abu said it has been proven to be false, as the Minister was never involved.
The businessman said they were greatly influenced by President Julius Maada Bio’s appeal during his visit to Dubai in 2019 for people to come and invest in Sierra Leone. He said that was not what they were expecting to get.
Chi asserted that all that SIMICHI Company wants is a recovery of all the monies that were schemed from them. He spoke of how they were hoping to initially invest $2 million in Sierra Leone and highlighted the loss of jobs and negative impact to an economy of a country, that acts of fraudsters could cause.
Chi said SIMICHI’s dealing with the Sierra Leonean company ran from 18 January 2021 to 14 March 2021, but after various payments to individuals connected to Precise SL Ltd at different intervals, and a supposed airfreighting of a 15 kilogram to Dubai via Kenya that never surfaced, they decided to contact the CID, on 15 March 2021.
He said he has been here in Freetown for months now spending a lot on hotel bills and appealed for justice in the matter.
Politico reached the leadership of NMA for clarification on their staff that was named. The Agency could not immediately give details but politely arranged for further engagement with Politico at a later date.
Copyright © Politico Online (14/07/21)
