Baimaro Bangura and Ann-marie Kamaramba were remand at the Male and Female Correctional Centre on Pademba Road and Special Court Building in Freetown for the disappearance of 1 kilogramme (kg) of gold paid for by Benson Daddy, a Nigerian national. The two accused were arraigned before Magistrate Hannah Bonnie at the Freetown Magistrate Court No. 1 on Pademba Road on four counts charges.
Police alleged that the accused persons, on Wednesday 10th June 2020, in Makeni, Northern Sierra Leone, with intent to defraud, collected $33,000, equivalent to Le330 million, in the pretext of selling 1 kg gold to Daddy. Police also alleged the accused, on Wednesday 10th June 2020, in Makeni, obtained $1,175 from Daddy. The accused were charged with conspiracy to defraud contrary to law, obtaining money by false pretence contrary to Section 32(1) of the Larceny Act of 1916 among others. Prosecution witness and victim, Benson Daddy, a minerals dealer, recalled on 10th June 2020 he and both accused persons travelled to Makeni after second accused Kamaramba told him one of her partners, Baimaro Bangura (first accused), who also deals in minerals, had kilograms of gold for sale.
“I have never met the first accused, but I came to trust him after the first accused spoke highly of and disclosed that she had travelled with him to London four times and one time to Belgium,” he said. He said when they got to Makeni the accused persons introduced him to two other individuals, one of them being the wife of the Paramount Chief of Makeni. “Both of them told me that they had prepared 5 kilograms of gold. I requested to test the gold to ascertain whether the gold was real. I used my chemical and confirmed that it was real gold,” he said.
He added that when he told both accused persons and the PC’s wife that he was going to pay for 1 kilogram, they agreed but disclosed that they had to inform the PC about the transaction. Daddy said he handed over the $33,000 to second accused Ann-Marie Kamaramba who then handed it over to first accused Baimaro for the 1 kg gold. “All of these transactions took place in from of my cousin, Francis,” he revealed Daddy disclosed that Kamaramba brought the safe where the gold was placed for safekeeping to Freetown, leaving Bangura in Makeni for, he claimed to have had a meeting with the PC, and promised to come to town to conclude the transaction.
He said he ran out of patience and demanded for his 1 kg of gold, but Kamaramba insisted they wait on Bangura who was in Makeni and could not return because he hadn’t a pass to come to Freetown. “I resorted to calling on the attention of the police after I intimated my security friend who advised me to do so. And after, I brought in diplomats from the Nigerian Embassy and my friend who owns the hotel where I first met Kamaramba at a guesthouse in Grafton,” he went on.
Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Ibrahim Sheik Mansaray is prosecuting the matter, and Bangura was represented by lawyer M.J.M. Sesay. Lawyer H D Timbo represented Kamaramba. Magistrate Hannah Bonnie sent both accused persons into remand and adjourned the matter to 19th August 2020.
By Sulaiman Karim Sesay