By Saio Marrah
Parliament has on the 4th of February 2020 presented an alleged fraudster, Vandy Von Kallon to newsmen at the main committee at Tower Hill.
Kallon who Research Manager at the Sierra Leone Maritime Administration used the names of the Leader of Government Business in the house of parliament, Sahr Matthew Nyuma and the Deputy Speaker of parliament, Sengepoh Thomas, to receive money from a presidential appointee , Dr Austin Demby.
Speaking at the news conference, Dr Demby said before coming to Sierra Leone to answer the call of the president to serve as the minister of health and Sanitation, he got a call from an unknown number with a man claiming to be the Leader of Government Business in parliament, Hon. Sahr Matthew Nyuma and that he was ready to help him present the necessary documents for the confirmation hearing. Demby said: “I was nominated by the president to be the minister of Health and Sanitation and I was so excited about the prospect of coming home to serve and of course be subject to parliament approval.” According to Demby “Over the weekend, I got an emergency call to say I am Honourable Nyuma and my mother just died in Kenema and I have to rush to the funeral. Unfortunately I have run to the bank and all the banks have closed and things are a bit difficult and it is an emergency thing so I want you to help me out to get fuel money. I am about to suffer disgrace. Could you help me out?”
The presidential appointee said he spoke to his wife about the issue and she encouraged him to support the caller since it was an emergency which could happen to anybody. He said he then asked to do a bank transfer of the money requested but the caller insisted that the banks were closed. So he asked him to do wire transfer via Western Union which he did through one Mr Mansaray whom the caller claimed to be his driver. He then transferred $500 which was collected by one Mansaray.
Dr Demby added that he continued to receive calls from the same person even after his arrival in Sierra Leone encouraging him to put his documents together for the approval process.
He said he decided to go to parliament on last Monday only to find out he had been duped after meeting Hon. Matthew Sahr Nyuma himself. Dr. Demby said he was not just concerned about the $500, but the integrity of the Leader of Government Business in Parliament as well as the house of parliament that was at stake.
He said the same voice with but with different phone number called him later and said he was the Deputy speaker of Parliament, Hon. Sengepoh Thomas asking for help with fuel money to attend the funeral of his father in Bo but that this time round he told him he had only three million Leones on him and the caller told him to send the cash through Orange Money. He said he told the caller he wasn’t familiar with that facility and that he should collect the money in person.
According to Dr Demby the called opted to send his driver Vandy Von Kallon to pick up the money. He said he arrested Kallon at his hotel and handed him over to the police at Aberdeen.
The Speaker of parliament, Dr. Abass Bundu, said: “For far too long the image and dignity of this institution of parliament has been brought into disrepute by various people who have taken upon themselves to impersonate various members of the leadership of parliament including my humble self.”
The Deputy Speaker of parliament, who is a lawyer by profession, said he will prosecute the matter himself when it is filed to court.
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