By Hassanatu I. Conteh
Magistrate Mark Ngegba of Pa Demba Road Magistrate Court has remanded Abdulai Turay who is accused of pretending to be a lecturer at Njala University.
The accused is in court to answer to five-count charges including impersonation and obtaining money on false pretenses.
Police alleged that the accused defrauded three women seeking scholarship to pursue postgraduate studies at Njala University.
Police also said that the accused between November last year and January 2023 at Aberdeen-Lumley Beach in Freetown pretended to be a PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) holder from Njala University, Towarma Campus and collected NLe 25,000 or Le21, 000, 000 (Twenty-one Million Leones) from one Hullaimatu Sillah.
Investigators said Sillah paid the money in order for the accused to facilitate a postgraduate scholarship for her to study at the University’s Henry Street campus in Freetown.
Police also alleged that accused also collected NLe 5,000 from one Eleen Paulina Sowa for the same purpose.
Led in evidence during yesterday’s proceedings, Sowa told the court that Turay contacted her via WhatsApp proposing to have a scholarship from the university.
The witness informed the magistrate that the accused requested for NLe 5,000 which she sent via Orange Money by installments.
She said after payment of the first installment of NLe 2,000, the accused added her to a WhatsApp group bearing the University logo. Magistrate Ngegba remanded Turay until 4th October, this year as the prosecutor set to lead another witness.