By Hassanatu I. Conteh
Bockarie Musa, a cyber security expert, on Monday, 4 September, 2023 made his first appearance before Magistrate Mark Ngegba of Pademba Road Court No.1 in Freetown on three count charges ranging from conspiracy to defraud, obtaining money by false pretences contrary to section 32(1) of the Larceny Act, 1916 and same for count two.
The particulars of offence in count one stated that the accused on diverse dates between Saturday, 22 July, 2023 and 25 July, 2023 at No. 134 Pademba Road, Freetown, with intent to defraud, conspired together with an unknown person and defrauded Abubakarr Wuladeh of $16,500 equivalent to NLe387,750 on the pretext that he will provide five flight tickets for him and four others to travel from Sierra Leone to Bolivia, knowing same to be false.
The particulars of offence in count two stated that on the same date and place in Freetown, Bockarie Musa obtained $12,000 equivalent to NLe282,000 from Abubakarr Wuladeh by falsely pretending that he will provide five flight tickets for the complainant, Alma Biba Conteh, Mohamed Bobson Mansaray, Alhassan Massaquoi and Abdul Salam Senesie to travel from Sierra Leone to Bolivia, knowing same to be false.
The particulars of offence in the third count stated that Bockarie Musa on a date unknown between Saturday, 28 July, 2023 at Lumley, Freetown, with intent to defraud obtained $4,500 equivalent to NLe105,750 from Abubakarr Wuladeh by falsely pretending that he will provide five air tickets for him, Alma Biba Conteh, Mohamed Bobson Mansaray, Alhassan Massaquoi and Abdul Salam Senesie to travel from Sierra Leone to Bolivia, knowing same to be false.
The accused was remanded at the Pademba Road Maximum Correctional Centre and the matter adjourned to 11 September 2023.