By Mamajah Jalloh
Freetown, Sierra Leone — In a high-profile land fraud case, 54-year-old businessman Abdulia Okomi Kamara appeared before Magistrate Santigie Bangura of Pademba Road Court No. 2 on Wednesday, January 29, 2025, facing three charges of obtaining money by false pretenses, contrary to Section 32 of the Larceny Act of 1916.
According to the charge sheet, Kamara is accused of defrauding Alhaji Sanusy Bah on three separate occasions. The first charge alleges that on December 4, 2023, at No. 79 Campbell Street, Freetown, Kamara fraudulently obtained the sum of Seventy Thousand Leones (Le 70,000) from Bah, claiming to have six town lots of land for sale in Hastings, despite knowing that the claim was false.
The second charge accuses Kamara of obtaining One Hundred Thousand Leones (Le 100,000) from Bah on December 22, 2023, under the same false pretense. A third charge alleges that on January 14, 2024, Kamara again deceived Bah, this time obtaining Twenty-Two Thousand Leones (Le 22,000) under the same fraudulent claim.
When the charges were read to him, Kamara pleaded not guilty to all counts.
The prosecution, led by Deputy Assistant Police Prosecutor Sorie Conteh, presented its first witness, Abdul Gadrie Kamara, who is familiar with the accused. Gadrie testified that on December 4, 2023, he was informed by his cousin, Mohamed Conteh, that Kamara had land for sale. He visited the land, where a neighbor confirmed that it belonged to Kamara, although they were aware of a pending court case concerning the property.
Gadrie stated that he paid an advance of Le 100,000 for four town lots and was issued a receipt, which was presented in court as Exhibit A. Kamara later informed Gadrie that his wife intended to sell two additional town lots, and Gadrie paid another Le 100,000, receiving a second receipt, which was presented as Exhibit B. Gadrie stated that the full balance was paid, and a third receipt, marked Exhibit C, was issued.
Despite making the payments, Gadrie testified that he had never received the land and that Kamara had prevented him from accessing the property. Gadrie also stated that he had reported the matter to the police.
Magistrate Bangura refused bail, citing the seriousness of the charges, and remanded Kamara to custody. The case was adjourned to February 5, 2025, for the continuation of the trial.
