By Janet A. Sesay
A business tycoon who identifies himself as Tejan Kamara, on Thursday, 19 June, 2025 made another appearance before Magistrate Augustine Brima Samura of Pademba Road Court No. 8 as he had been dragged to court by his girlfriend on charges of domestic violence and economy abuse.
Kamara was arraigned before the court on a count charge of domestic violence contrary to Section 2 (1) of the Domestic Violence Act of 2007.
The indictment states that Tejan Kamara on Sunday, 20 April, 2024 at Charlotte Street in Freetown, economically abused Mariama Tarawalie with whom he is in a domestic relationship.
When the charge was read and explained to the accused, he pleaded not guilty of the offense.
Testifying before the court, the complainant, Mariama Tarawalie described herself as an Administrator at Kid Zone Academy, and went on to recognize the accused as her lover and recalled on the above date.
According to her, on the said date, the accused approached her with a business proposal he intends to do in Liberia and requested that she lends him money on promise that he will repay with interest, to which she said she agreed.
Ms. Tarawally went on that she later went with the accused to the UBA Bank at Charlotte Street and she withdrew the sum of Forty-Nine Thousand New Leones (NLe 49,000) which she gave to the accused and that they both agreed that he should refund the money on or before the 31st December, 2024.
She said they also both agreed that the accused will be giving her One Thousand, Five Hundred New Leones (NLe 1,500) monthly as interest from the money.
The complainant furthered in her testimony that after the transaction she did not see the accused again and that she tried calling him on many occasions in other to remind him to refund the money but that he never picked or responded to her calls.
She went on that on 3rd January, 2025 she went to the house of accused at Fredrick Street but did not meet him but that she left a message with his wife concerning the said money and returned home.
The witness said later the accused met her at her house and she asked him for her money but the accused responded to her that he has no money for her and started ranging insults on her which forced her to go to the headquarters of Criminal Investigations Department where she reported the matter and a statement was obtained from her.
The accused was not legally represented and so he himself cross- examined the witness.
Magistrate Samura adjourned the matter to 30th June, 2025 whiles bail of the accused continues.