By Mohamed Kamara
Officials at the CID Headquarters in Freetown are currently investigating one Mohamed Alie for allegedly using foreign mining company documents to dupe a group of Sierra Leoneans businessmen that are currently residing in Turkey, the sum of fifty eight thousand United States Dollars.
According to the head of the group, name withheld, said while in Turkey, the suspect was introduced to them by a friend, claiming that, the suspect is a license gold dealer. For a test, he said that they bought a small quantity from the suspect which was later proven to be pure gold, stating further that, this gave them the confidence to contribute the sum of fifty eight thousand United States Dollars to buy two kilos of gold from the suspect.
He said they bought a return ticket for someone to transport the gold to Turkey. He added that the suspect assured them that although he is using a Guinean Company documents but he has the Bank of Sierra Leone Clearance Permission to transact the said kilos of gold. He went on to say that they were shocked to learn that the man they sent to collect the gold was arrested at the Lungi International Airport for transporting fake gold and also travelling with gold without official authority. He also disclosed to this medium that their business partner who was arrested at the Lungi International Airport was later released on bail.
He further informed this medium that the suspect, Mohamed Alie was later arrested at a hospital in the East End of Freetown where the suspect went for medical checkup and was taken to the Ross Road Police Station and later transferred to the CID Headquarters in Freetown. He said that police requested for the mining documents from the suspect and it was proven that it has long expired and the company has shut down its operation in Guinea.
Officials at CID Headquarters have refused to comment on the matter, stating that, the matter is still under investigations.
