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A staff of the Ministry of Environment Francis Morlai Lincoln on Tuesday 6th June 2023 testified before Magistrate Marke Ngegba of the Pademba Road Magistrate Court No.1 on how he was allegedly defrauded over NLe13 Thousand by one Abdulai Turay who claimed to be a lecturer at Njala University.
The accused Abdulai Turay is charged with six counts of charges ranging from obtaining money by pretense and personation contrary to the laws of Sierra Leone.
According to the charge sheet, it was alleged that the accused Abdulai Turay on 3rd April 2023 at Robert Lane, Jui in Freetown pretended to be a Ph.D. holder and a lecturer at Njala University Bo campus and under such pretense obtained thirteen thousand five hundred new leones from the complainant Francis Morlai Lincoln and his friends to facilitate their post-graduate scholarship program to study at Njala University knowing to be false.
Prosecution witness Francis Morlai Lincoln was led in evidence by Sergeant 9939 Lahai M, who said he is a civil servant working at the Ministry of Environment and also recognized the accused.
He recalls on 3 April 2023, adding that on that day he was sitting at their shop when the accused met him saying his face look familiar and said that they both attended Njala University which he confirmed.
He said the accused told him that he is a Ph.D. holder now and he is also a lecturer at Njala University adding that he lectures master’s students.
The witness said the accused then told him that he will help him pursue his master’s at the said college since he is a lecturer, adding that he took the accused to his parents and they were excited and they paid him one thousand five hundred new Leones as an advance so that he can fast track the process.
He continued that the accused told him that he has five spaces and if he has relatives or friends that want to do their master he can help them but it was not free as it cost five thousand but for his sake, they should pay three thousand each.
He went further and stated that he immediately informed his friends Mark, Sheka, Aaron, and Sahr and each of them gave the accused three thousand Leones together with their passport pictures and details of their information.
He said the accused confirmed to him each time he received the money sent by his friends but did not produce a receipt of the payment made.
He said the accused later informed his friends asking them if they have friends who also want to do their master’s as he will help them his friends call him and told him about the accused request and he immediately call the accused and told him that he said he had five spaces but why now he is still asking for more people.
He said it was at that point they knew it was a fraud and they went to Njala University to confirm if they have Dr. Abdulai Turay as a lecturer at the college and they said they did not know anyone by that name.
He said since then, he tried calling the accused but his phone was switched off.
Defense Counsel Abdulrahman made an application for bail on behalf of the accused but was refused and the matter was adjourned to 13th June 2023 for further hearing.
