By Hassanatu I. Conteh
Bockarie Musa on Monday, 4 September 2023 appeared before Magistrate Mark Ngegba of Pademba Road Court No.1 in Freetown for fraudulently obtaining credit contrary to section 13 (1) of the debtors Act, 1869.
According to the particulars of offence, the accused on Thursday, 4 May 2023 at No. 32 Lower Pipe Line off Wilkinson Road in Freetown, incurred a debt or liability to Hussein Awarky by obtaining three electronic air tickets valued at $5,820.
The first prosecution witness (PW1) Hussein Awarky, a businessman operating a travelling agency, stated that he came to know the accused through Radwan Hammound, a former staff of his agency. He said Radwan told him he had been friends with the accused for 10 years.
He furthered that the accused introduced himself as a staff of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. Mr Awarky stated that the accused wanted three air tickets for him and the wife and son of the Foreign Affairs Minister as they would be travelling to New Delhi, India, for medical treatment and the son will later proceed to Turkey.
The witness added that, he then asked the accused for the passports bearing the visas and the payment but the accused only forwarded the passports via WhatsApp and promised to pay for the three air tickets in a fortnight. He said his wife prepared the three air tickets and handed them over to the accused in the presence of Mr Hammound.
He concluded that the accused was nowhere to be seen after two weeks so he reported the matter to the Criminal Investigations Department headquarters in Freetown.
Magistrate Mark Ngegba remanded the accused and adjourned the matter to Monday, 11 September, 2023.