Mohamed Bah, an auxiliary staff at the Ministry of Lands, has made another appearance before Magistrate John Mansoa Fornah of Pademba Road court no.2 in Freetown.

He was defending himself on five count charges for felony contrary to law, forgery, uttering forged survey plan, trespass and for obtaining money by false pretences.

The particulars of offence on the 13th February 2025 at the Ministry of Lands housing and Country Planning Youyi building in Freetown conspired together and with other persons unknown to commit a forgery crime.

Count two further stated that on the same date and place the accused person with intent to defraud forged a Survey Site Plan document purporting it to be authentic Survey Plan knowing same to be fake.

Count three further stated that on the same date and place the accused person uttered a survey site plan forged document purporting it to be a true and accurate survey plan with LS number 313/25 for 1.1090 acre of private land at Kotopema macdonald off peninsular Road Freetown as property of Mr Sheku Jawara and Mrs Isata Selvine Jawara knowing it to be forged with intent to defraud.

Count four further stated that on the 3rd January 2025 at Kotopema Macdonald off peninsular Road, Western Area in Freetown, unlawfully tampered a State Land situated at Kotopema Macdonald Freetown having warned not to do so.

Count five stated that on the 1st to 6th January 2025 at Bar Junction Goderich the Western Area in Freetown obtained the sum of seventeen thousand Leones (17,000) from Sheku Jawara by falsely pretending that he would survey a piece of land at Kotopema Macdonald and that he prepared a true and accurate survey plan in the name of Mr Sheku Jawara and Mrs Isata Selvine Jawara knowing same to be false.

When the charge was read and explained to the accused person and there was no plea taken.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Juan M.S Bull concluded and prosecution witness Deputy Director of Surveys Abraham Cooper tendered the alleged original survey plan bearing the name of Derrick Obioseh, and an alleged fake survey plan bearing the name of Sheku Jawara and Isata Susan Jawara to court.

The witness, Cooper said he signed the original survey plan on behalf of the Director of Surveys and Plans at the Ministry of Lands and that the said land is situated at Peninsular Road, York. He went on to say that that was what is in their record.

The witness was testifying before Magistrate John Manso Fornah at the Pademba Road Court No.2 on Thursday June 19, 2025, when he further told the court that the “fake survey plan” is situated at katopema Macdonald bearing the same L.S. number with their already existing survey plan belonging to Derrick.

Responding to question on what it means for a staff of the ministry engaging in such act, the witness said it is against their ethics at the ministry and that the ministry treats the case with all seriousness it deserves.

The court learnt from the witness that as a result they escalated the matter to the minister and the deputy minister of Lands.

He says the minister is the chairman of Surveys and Plans.

The witness further described the act of the accused as “criminal”. He further cited a voice message wherein he said the minister talked about how such act may lead to the public having perception that it is the minister who had been doing such.

At Cross examination, the witness affirmed that he is a staff of ministry of lands, and country planning and that he recognised the accused as the supporting staff of the ministry.

He said the role of the accused is to give support to the staffs that are on payroll.

He admitted that the ministry do recognise the support the accused gives to the staffs at the ministry.

He also agreed that auxiliary staffs at the ministry are being supervised, but he could not tell the exact person who supervises the accused, but that they are being supervised by their immediate bosses, who brought them in.

“I can’t tell the name of his immediate boss,” he said.

The witness also told the court that the accused is not directly under his supervision.

The case has been adjourned to June 24th 2025.