By Audrey Raymonda John
Josephine Pessima, a business woman made her first appearance before magistrate Mark Ngegba of Pademba Road Court no 1 in Freetown and was remanded in custody for obtaining money from the complainant by falsely pretending that she would facilitate her travel from Sierra Leone to Germany.
The accused was arraigned before the court on six count charges, ranging from conspiracy to defraud contrary to law, obtaining money by false pretenses and causing money to be paid by means of fraud, which are all contrary to the laws of Sierra Leone.
The charge sheet indicated that, the accused on a date unknown but could be recorded roughly between the 1st and 31st July, 2022, at Kissy in Freetown, conspired with another person who is unknown to have defrauded one Rugiatu Fofanah the sum of Forty-Three Million Leones. They did that with the pretext that the victim would be facilitated a traveling to overseas with her daughter to Dubai and Germany for a job opportunity knowing that to be false.
Led in evidence by Sergeant 8975 Ibrahim Bangura, the witness number one
Rugiatu Fofanah, said she recognized the accused in the dock as they had been staying in the same compound.
She recalled on the said date, adding that she was at home in the morning hours when the accused met her telling her that she [ Rugiatu] is having her fiance living in Dubai and he has been engaging himself on enabling others to go overseas through a special traveling program.
She further that the accused then told her that she should join in the process and she would make her daughter travel to Dubai to work at a factory that is producing chocolates.
The victim, said, she then agreed and gave the sum of Twenty Million Old Leones to the accused for in order for her daughter to travel to Dubai.
Witness Fofanah continued that after weeks, the accused came and told her that the visa for her daughter was out and she became excited. Rugiatu was asked by the accused again to release another Twenty Three Million Leones for her travel to Germany for which she gave to the accused.
The victim further said that after a week again the accused met her saying that the Dubai has blocked Sierra Leoneans from traveling there.
At this point, the prosecutor sought for another date to have proper cross examination with the witness.
Defense Counsel Jimmy Smith made an application for bail on behalf of the accused by citing section 79(3) of the CPA of 1965.
The accused was refused bail and the matter was adjourned to the 13th November 2023 for a continuation.