Francis H. Murray
Preliminary investigations into a seven count charge including conspiracy to defraud, obtaining money by false pretenses and money laundering against Mohamed Ibrahim Mohamed Hussain Shiham, Dialo Abou Djiby and Ignatius Thomas has continued before Magistrate Mark Ngegba in Freetown.
Led in evidence by ASP Hawa Bah, detective sergeant Osman Kanu attached to the Anti-Fraud Unit of the Criminal Investigations Department headquarters recognized the accused persons and said he knew the complainant as an Indian Business Man.
He recalled that he was on duty on the 2nd of March 2020, when the three accused persons were arrested and brought to the station in respect of 5 kilograms of gold. He said that the matter was officially assigned to him for the continuation of investigations.
The witness said that on the same day, together with other investigators they separately did what he referred to as contemporaneous interview with the accused persons followed by their caution statements.
He added that on the 3rd of March 2020, they wrote a letter to the Director of Geological Surveys Department of the National Minerals Agency (NMA) for examination and verification of the mineral. The witness further said that on the 6th March 2020, they received a reply from NMA in respect of their request.
Under cross examination by lawyer A. M Kamara on behalf of the accused persons, the witness said the accused persons denied the allegations when they were put to them by the police, adding that they also denied having received any money from the complainant.
The witness said that the second accused had told them that the money was given to him and that he in turn gave it to the supplier.
He added that the third accused person had told the police that he was not involved in the transaction of any gold, adding that the complainant had verified the gold before buying and that the consignment had been in his custody.
Lawyer Kamara argued that the gold bars which the complainant had verified were not the same as those he returned. In reply, the witness said the 2nd accused had confirmed that they were the same bars of gold.
The matter stands adjourned to 1st October 2020 for continuation of investigations.
The police allege that the accused persons on Thursday 6th February 2020 and on diverse dates between that day and Monday 2nd March 2020, in the Western Area of Sierra Leone with intend to defraud, conspired with one Abu Barkarr Sidique and with other persons unknown, to defraud Malik Chennam of the sum of $196, 600, 00 equivalent to one Billion, nine hundred and six million six hundred thousand Leones by falsely pretending that they had five kilograms of gold for sale.
It is also alleged that the accused persons with intent to defraud, did obtain the sum of $132, 000, 00 from the complainant.
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