Abdulai Turay made another appearance before Magistrate Mark Ngeba of Court No:1 and he was remanded to the Male Correctional Centre on Pademba Road for alleged fraud.
The accused was standing trial on 5 count charges to wit impersonation and obtaining money by false pretenses.
Police alleged that on diverse dates between 21st November 2022, at Aberdeen, Lumley Beach, Freetown, the accused falsely pretended to be a PHD holder and a lecturer at Njala University, Towama, Bo Campus, with intent to cause it to be believed that he was a holder of such office and bearer of such authority, and who under such assumed character, obtained the total sum of twenty thousand new Leones from Hulaimatu Sillah by falsely pretending that he will facilitate her post graduate scholarship programmes to study at Njala, Henry Street Campus in Freetown, Knowing same to be false.
It was alleged that the accused on an unknown date between 2nd December 2022, and 6TH January 2023 in Freetown, with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of five thousand new Leones from Hulaimatu Sillah by falsely pretending that he will facilitate her post graduate scholarship program to study at Njala, Henry Street Campus in Freetown, Knowing same to be false.
It was also alleged that the accused on an unknown date between 3rd December 2022, and 21 January 2023, with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of five thousand new Leones from Eleen Paulina Sowa by false pretending that he will facilitate her post graduate scholarship program.
Police further alleged that on a date between 25th December 2022 and 10th February 2023 in Freetown, with intent to defraud, the accused obtained the sum of five thousand new Leones from Jamilatu Sillah by falsely pretending that he will facilitate her post graduate scholarship program to study at Njala, Henry Street Campus Freetown, Knowing same to be false.
It was alleged that on a diverse date between 27th November 2022 and 10 February 2023 in Freetown 2023, with intent to defraud , the accused obtained the sum of five thousand new Leones from Fatmata Sesay by falsely pretending that he will facilitate her post graduate scholarship programmes to study at Njala, Henry Street Campus in Freetown, Knowing same to be false.
Police prosecutor, Sellu Tap, brought in a witness to testify in court to form part of the court evidence and records.
Ellen Paulina Sowa, who doubles as the witness and complainant, said she stays at No. 5 Thunder Street in Freetown, and an employee at the National Civil Registration Authority (NCRA).
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She recalled on the 25th November 2022, when she received a message on WhatsApp from the accused who told her that he had a scholarship,which a friend of hers also told her about.
According to her, the accused told her to pay 5 million old Leones for the scholarship, adding that she sent orange money to the accused.
She ended that she first sent 2million and then the accused added her to a WhatsApp group with Njala logo as the profile.
The matter was adjourned to the 4th October 2023, for further hearings.
