By Jeneba A Conteh
Alusine Janneh, a fake surveyor, was granted bail in the sum of 100 thousand new Leones by Magistrate Mark Ngegba presiding at Court No.1 for allegedly forging the Director of Survey and lands signature.
The accused made his second appearance and was charged with five counts ranging from forgery contrary to Section 4(1) of the Forgery Act 1913, alttering forge document contrary to Section 6(1) (ii) of the Forgery Act of 1916, obtaining money by false pretences contrary to Section 32 1 of the Larceny Act 1916 and other related offenses.
It was alleged that the accused between 1st February and 31st May 2023, in Freetown, with intent to defraud, forged certain documents to wit survey site plan dated 28 March 2019, purporting to have been signed by the Director of Survey and Lands, knowing same to be false.
It was further alleged that the accused on the same date and place, with intent to defraud, obtained from Karifa Kamara the sum of NLE 3,500 with the pretext that he will survey one town lot of land situated lying and being of forest compound No 2 River Peninsula Road and same time produced an authentic survey site plan in the name of Mr. Abdul Barrie and Salamatu Jalloh signed by the Director of Survey and Lands,knowing same to be false.
It was again alleged that the accused on diverse dates between 1st March and 31st March 2023 in Freetown, with intent to defraud, obtained from Karifa Kamara the sum of NLE 3,000 with the pretext that he will survey one town lot of land situated lying and being of forest compound Peninsular Road, No 2 River Village and same time produce an authentic survey site plan in the name of Abdul Barrie and Salamatu Jalloh signed by the Director of Survey and Lands, knowing same to be false.
Prosecution Witness No1, Karifa Kamara, led in evidence by Inspector Mabel Tarawally ,said he recognized the accused and further recalled on the diverse dates between 1st February and 31st March 2023.
He said he came to know the accused through a friend,Abdul Barrie, who owns a piece of land at Forest Compound, No 2 River, Peninsula that he needed a surveyor for.
He said his friend put him in charge of the documentation and also introduced him to the accused as the surveyor that he should work with in preparing the documents.
The witness said they agreed on six million for the for the documentation, adding that in his presence the complainant gave the accused 3.5 and promised to hand over the documents to him on the following week.
The following week, he said he received a call from one Saio who said he was sent by the accused to called him in respect of the documents.
The witness said Saio came with the site plan but did not came the NRA receipt which he promised to give him in two weeks’ time.
”I became suspicious and then went to the Ministry of Lands in order to verify the documents. At the ministry, I discovered that the documents were fake and I immediately went to the Anti-Land Grabbing Unit, CID HQ and reported the matter and later made statement to the police,” he testified.
The accused who was unrepresented in court said he had no question for the witness.
Prosecutor Inspector Mabel Tarawally requested for an adjournment to bring her next witness.
Magistrate Ngegba granted bail to the accused in the sum of 100 thousand new Leones and one surety in like sum.
