By Mohamed Jaward Nyallay
New testimony at the Commission of Inquiry (COI) has shown that there is no evidence of earning by the business or work of Umu Hawa Mansaray, daughter of former government minister, Minkailu Mansaray.
Ms Mansaray’s alleged house at Bango Farm, Adonkia is the subject of the COI’s investigation, amidst suspicion that the property might have been bought by his father, under her name.
On Friday, Ms Mansaray’s lawyer, Mohamed Sahid Bangura took to the stand to defend an affidavit that he’d sworn to on behalf of his client legitimizing the claim to the property.
In his testimony, Bangura said he had knowledge about the property but never requested to know how Madam Mansaray raised money to acquire it.
State Counsel, Robin Mason, asked Bangura: “Do you have any knowledge or evidence of her finances?”
Bangura replied: “It speaks for itself; I know she was working very hard.”
Mason asked these questions based on the information on the affidavit which suggested that Ms Mansaray was a nurse practitioner in the United Kingdom and businesswoman in Europe.
Mason later asked Bangura: “Did you request for evidence of her business income in Europe?”
Bangura replied: “No”.
Bangura later said in his testimony that he had a conversation with his client in 2010, two years after the property was acquired, about her financial capability. He said Ms Mansaray said she was funding the project through her aunt in Freetown, Nancy Freeman, who was handling all her businesses.
Bangura said Ms Freeman died three months ago.
In his own questions, the presiding judge, Justice Biobele Georgewill also attempted to clarify some of the points Bangura’s testimony was revealing.
Justice Georgewill said: “I have not seen any evidence of her earnings. All I have in the affidavit is that she works hard. I have not seen dollars, pounds or anything,” the judge said.
Bangura said he did not request for that information when he was preparing the affidavit because he did not think they were necessary at the time.
Bangura stated in the affidavit that Ms Mansaray moved to UK in 1995, by then she was just 19 years old. She also bought the land at Bango Farm in 2008, by then she was 32 years.
After confirming all these statements, Justice Georgewill asked Bangura whether he knew when Ms Mansaray started work in UK, when she completed school, how she sent the money for construction or how much she sent for the construction?
Bangura answered “No” to all the above questions.
Following his testimony, the lawyer representing Ms Mansaray and her father Minkaiulu Mansaray, Lawyer Ady Macauley, then attempted to cross examine the witness on the possible valuation of the property in question.
That move provoked a heated exchange between the judge and Macauley.
The judge was making a point that Bangura was not in the commission to testify on matters regarding the valuation of the property, but to prove ownership of the property on behalf of her client.
“You cannot use this witness to show the valuation of a house. This witness was brought to certify the ownership of the house,” the judge said.
“He is here because of an affidavit, he should come in and be questioned on the content of the affidavit,” he added.
“I feel gaged my lord. I believe the state was given a lot of latitude to question the witness out of the content of the affidavit” Macauley said.
After about five minutes of exchange, Macauley had his way.
Macauley’s line of questioning sought to dent the credibility of the valuation report that had been done by the state on the property.
On Wednesday, a property valuation expert, Olu Campbell had testified on the content of a valuation report on the property. The report puts the worth of the property at US$ 2 million.
Bangura said Campbell’s valuation of the fence couldn’t be correct based on his experience (as an estate transaction lawyer).
The fence surrounding the property was valued by Campbell to cost US$112,000 for the less than two town lots of land.
At the end of Macauley’s cross examination, Justice Georgewill asked Bangura if he had any qualification in valuing properties.
Bangura said “No”.
Investigation surrounding another property of Minkaiulu Mansaray is also on the way at the commission. On Friday, Macualey presented a witness, Gibril Bangura, who is a security guard at Mr Mansaray’s Femi Turner Drive residence in Goderich. Gibril Bangura testified that he didn’t remember anyone visiting the house to value the property.
Mr Mansaray’s home in Goderich is said to be worth US$ 3.5 million.
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