The land dispute between Dr. Richard Conteh, a prominent public official, and Marie Sesay, has taken a significant turn, with Dr. Conteh filing a robust counterclaim against the plaintiff.

This legal confrontation follows Sesay’s initial lawsuit seeking justice over two-town lots of land at Mamah Street, Gloucester, Western Freetown.

Marie Sesay alleges that Dr. Conteh facilitated the purchase of the land on her behalf but failed to deliver as agreed. In her claim, she is demanding either possession of the full property or a refund of $2,000, which she says she sent for constructing a perimeter fence. She is also seeking costs, general damages, and other orders deemed fit by the court.

Dr. Conteh, in his defense and counterclaim, has disputed these allegations, asserting that he sold only two-town lots with an existing perimeter fence for $8,000. He denies that the sale involved four-town lots or that the $2,000 payment was for additional fencing. Conteh claims he demarcated and transferred two-town lots at Mamah Street to Sesay, with a conveyance registered in her name.

In his counterclaim, Dr. Conteh maintains that the plaintiff disrupted his construction work to separate her land from his property, leading to conflict. He argues that the plaintiff did not contest the land’s size or boundaries for years until her attorney, Florence Turay, intervened, escalating the dispute.

The situation intensified when Turay reported the matter to the Land Grabbing Unit of the CID. Sesay subsequently instructed her lawyers to demand additional land from Conteh. This, according to Conteh, led to defamatory claims against him, causing reputational harm and distress.

Conteh is seeking court orders to:

  • Declare him the rightful owner of the Mamah Street land.
  • Issue an injunction preventing Sesay or her associates from accessing, leasing, or selling the property.
  • Award damages for defamation and costs.

The court will now decide on these competing claims, in what has become a high-stakes legal battle drawing public and political attention.