Dr. Richard Konteh has on Tuesday, 17th February, 2026 confirmed at the Court presided over by Justice Manuela Harding in Freetown, his bank details are inscribed on the three different receipts of payments issued to the Plaintiff, Marie Sesay for the purchase of land which is dated 25 March 2010.
Dr. Konteh’s confirmed the bank account details inscribed on the receipts when the Exhibits marked A21 to A23 were shown to him by the Plaintiff’s Lawyer, Augustine Sorie Sengbe Marrah.
Answering questions from Lawyer Marrah during cross-examination, explained that he was a businessman at the time of the alleged transaction in 2009, and that the transaction between himself and the Plaintiff, Marie Sesay for the land property started in 2009 and that it was within that year that he gave his bank account details to the Plaintiff to make the necessary payment.
When asked whether the Plaintiff did physically saw the said property at Mamah Street, Gloucester, Dr. Konteh responded in the negative, adding that the Plaintiff was resident out of the country, but that he did sent to her a copy of the survey plan.
Dr. Konteh was asked by Lawyer Marrah if he had showed the survey plan of the said property at Mamah Street, Gloucester, to the court, he responded that he hasn’t shown the court the survey plan.
Dr. Konteh was asked again by Lawyer Marrah if, since he bought the property and procured a conveyance for the said property on behalf of the Plaintiff, whether the Plaintiff has ever seen the said property, he responded in the affirmative, but that he did on her behalf since she was not in the country.
Lawyer Marrah further asked Dr. Richard Konteh that inasmuch as the Plaintiff did not see the property between 2009 and 2019, he still went ahead to send the conveyance to her, he responded that yes he did even though the Plaintiff had not seen the property at Mamah Street, Gloucester.
Lawyer Augustine Sengbe Marrah further put it to Dr. Konteh that in 2013, when he was the Chief of Staff at State House, the Plaintiff, Marie Sesay was in Freetown and he showed her a piece of land at Mamah Street which she rejected because it was sloppy, but he responded that he cannot recall that meeting, and that he is not aware if the Plaintiff was shown the property at Mamah Street, Gloucester.
Dr. Konteh however confirmed knowing the relationship between the Plaintiff and Mr. Abdulai Baratay, adding that Baratay was working with him.
He was asked whether he was aware that the Plaintiff lodged a complaint against him to Mr. Baratay and that Mr. Baratay had pleaded to him on behalf of the Plaintiff for him (Dr. Richard Konteh) to give her the property she had requested for and paid for, but he denied having heard any plea from Mr. Baratay regarding a land property due to the Plaintiff, and that he only met Abdulai Baratay around 2018.
He was asked again by lawyer Marrah that the intervention of Baratay resulted in the several complaints made by the plaintiff Marie Sesay and he responded in the negative.
Dr. Richard Konteh further in cross-examination, denied that the Plaintiff, Marie Sesay gave him an additional USD 2,000 apart from the USD 8,000 she paid for the property and for the erection of a perimeter fence.
Dr. Konteh was asked again by Lawyer Marrah if he wants the court to believe that from 2009 to now when the matter is in court he did not receive any further payment from the Plaintiff to his bank account, he responded that during those period under review, his account was choked and he was finding it difficult to get access to the account.
Dr. Richard Konteh further stated that he was only reported at the Lumley Police Station at the Anti-land Grabbing Unit and that even during that period; he did not demand payment of the property.
At this point, Lawyer Marrah closed his cross- examination saying that he would address the court on other issues.
Lawyer Gbondo in his re-examination of the three occasions wanted to start leading fresh evidence before the court but each time he made the attempt, Lawyer Augustine Sorie Sengbe Marrah objected, on ground that it will be unfair to the Plaintiff given that the Defendant, Dr. Richard Konteh has already testified in court and questions have been put to him based on his testimony.
The objections made by lawyer Augustine Sengu were upheld by the learned Judge.
After the ruling, Defense Counsel Gbondo said he has no further questions for his client, Dr. Konteh.
The matter was therefore adjourned to 25th February, 2026 for continuation.
Dr. Richard Konteh is before Justice Manuela Harding at the Freetown High Court on a Writ of Summon by Plaintiff Marie Sesay, who claims the recovery of two-town plot of land situated at Mamah Street at Gloucester in Freetown.
The Plaintiff, Marie Sesay is also claiming the recovery of USD 2,000 paid to Dr. Richard Konteh to facilitate the erection of a perimeter fence around a four-town plot of land for which a payment of USD 8,000 was made by the Plaintiff, Marie Sesay into United States of America Bank account of the Defendant, Dr. Richard Konteh.