By Musa Paul Feika
Baimba Samura, who works for the Ministry Lands, Housing and Country Planning has testified before Magistrate Alhaji Suliaman Koroma of the Ross Road Magistrate Court No. 1 in a matter involving three accused – Isatu Bah, Foday Fofanah and Mariama Bah, for maliciously damaging Isatu Fofanah’s gate worth million of Leones.
Mr. Samura said on that fateful day he received a letter from the Permanent Secretary (PS) of the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Country Planning instructing him to investigate a piece of land situated at Low Cost Housing in Freetown.
Upon receiving the letter, he said he and both parties involved in the matter and a representative from the Legal Aid Board (LAB) visited the crime scene at Low Cost Housing.
He added that upon their arrival, he requested for certain documents which include a site plan, letter of offer and conveyance, which were issued to both parties to ascertain the ownership of the land.
The witness said complainant Isatu Fofanah was able to produce hers, while the accused only produced a document from the Freetown City Council (FCC), which was tendered and marked as ‘Exhibit D’.
Mr. Samura said after the conclusion of the investigation, the PS acted on it and asked him to write a report on the land.
After submitting his report, he said the PS invited both parties to the Ministry of Lands office at Youyi Building in Freetown. He said the Lands Ministry PS, whose name was not mentioned, requested certain documents from both the complainant and accused, which the accused failed to produce.
“The Permanent Secretary from Ministry of Lands instructed police officers from the Ross Road Police Division in Freetown to demolish all structures erected by the accused,” Mr. Samura noted.
He said several requests were made by the Ministry of Lands for the accused to produce their document, which they failed to do.
Mr. Samura rounded up his evidence stating that the Ministry of Lands had conducted a GPS survey on the land, which report was produced and tendered to form part of the court’s records.
The accused are on bail and the matter was adjourned to 13th January 2021.