Victim Explains How He Was Duped By Two Surveyors

By Fatima Sesay

Saio Turay and  Fara Bangalie Kamara, both Surveyors, were on Wednesday 10th September 2025, sent on remand by  Magistrate John Manso Fornah of Pademba Road court No.2  over an alleged Land fraud.

The accused were arraigned on four count charges of Conspiracy, contrary  to law, obtaining money by false pretences, contrary to section 32 (1) of the larceny Act 1916 and other related charges.

According to the particulars of offence, it was alleged that the accused persons on a date between 1st to 10th May 2024 at Youyi building Canteen,  Freetown, conspired together with other persons unknown to commit a felony, to wit: obtaining money by false pretences.

The police also alleged on count two that on the same date and place the accused persons obtained the sum of fifty thousand Leones(50,000) from Ansumana Conteh by falsely pretending that they have land for sale situated, lying and being at Grafton Highway, knowing same to be false.

Count three further stated that on the 1st May 2025 at #7c Hill Cut Road, Wilberforce, the accused persons obtained the sum of five thousand five hundred Leones(5,500) from Ansumana Conteh by falsely pretending that they will prepare his land document, knowing same to be false.

Whiles counts four added that on the same date and place the second accused person obtained the sum of two thousand leones(2,000) from Ansumana Conteh by falsely pretending that he has surveyed his one and half Town lot situated, lying and being at Grafton Highway, knowing same to be false.

The first Prosecution witness, Ansumana Conteh, led in evidence by Deputy Superintendent of police Sorie Conteh, said that he is a driver, and also recognized the accused persons in the dock.

He said he came to know them during the time he was about to purchase land, and recalled on diverse dates between the 1st to 10th May 2024, that he was at his place of work when he met the second accused person, who told him that he has land for sale, and  they exchanged phone numbers.

He added that after that conversation,  himself the second accused, together with his wife, Yatta Sama, went to the land at Hill Station, where he met the first accused, who  showed him the land and further asked him if he was  interested.

” I told him that i am  interested and upon that, he requested that we go to the Ministry of Lands, where the second accused took me  to the director of Lands, Momoh Banya. Upon arrival, the second accused was asked by the Director how he was able to locate the land”, he stated.

According to the witness,  the accused persons then said they should prepare the land document, and then they requested for the sum of five thousand five hundred Leones, which he gave to them, adding that after they had received the money, they opted to  survey the land, and went to the said land accompanied by five other men from the Ministry of Lands.

The  witness said he went along with his elder brother, Mohamed Conteh, and that during the survey exercise, the second accused told him that he should pay transport fare for those he went with to survey the land, which he readily did, paying the sum of two thousand leones through his elder brother.

The witness disclosed that after the survey exercise, he went to the ministry of Lands, where he met both accused persons, who took him to the director with whom they had negotiated for the land and they told him that the price for the land is (110,000). He furthered that they negotiate and agreed on (95,000) and that the Director told him to go and create a structure on the land, but the accused refused, stating that he must pay first before erecting structure on the land.

He furthered that they later told him that if he is unable to pay at the agreed time they will sell the property to someone else. He maintained that they asked him to  make a part payment of (50,000).

He revealed that the accused also opted to provide security for him,  they both took him to the Director, and the Director told them to go down at the Canteen to make payment, on the grounds that his office is full. They therefore went there, and as they were about to make payment and take photographs at the scene, the Director left the scene.

At  this juncture the prosecutor sought for a short adjournment date to bring documents to support their claims.

Magistrate Fornah refused bail and sent the accused persons to the male correctional facility in Freetown, and the  matter was  adjourned to the 17th September 2025