Three face trial for “419”

Alusine Kamara a complainant has testified against Aruna Koroma, Mohamed Koroma and Salieu Kamara of United Oil Shipping Company who were arraigned before Magistrate Steven Conteh Court No.1 on Tuesday 17th February.
The accused were facing a one count offense of False Pretence. The complainant Alusine Kamara told the court that the accused promised to offer him and his brother a job at United Oil shipping company in September 2008.
He informed the court that the accused asked them to pay the sum of $3,800 dollars for registration fee and traveling fee. Alusine went on to say that they were told to prepare for training that was going to take place in Croatia and they were to transit first in Ghana before finally leaving for Croatia.  In his explanation Alusine told the court that when the time came for them to go to Ghana his brother was prevented from going. The reason they gave was that they had the same surname (Kamara) and they (the accused) did not want to present a picture to their boss who they alleged was staying in Ghana of any mal-practice during the recruitment process.
The complainant went on to explain that upon his arrival in Ghana he met a man who spoke to him with a Nigerian accent who introduced himself as Captain. After he explained his purpose of visit to the man (Captain), Captain denied having any connection with United Shipping Company.
He promised to help Alusine (the complainant) to get a Malaysian visa for the cost of 500 dollars as a way of substituting the Croatia travel. The complainant who was desperate to actualize his mission gave the money to Captain and his passport was stamped with a visa to Malaysia. He later discovered that it was a fake visa. He tried to contact Captain but all efforts to do that proved futile as Captain had already disappeared.  Alusine disclosed that he saw dozens of Sierra Leoneans stranded in Ghana as a result of this fake recruitment.
He managed to find his way back to Sierra Leone and luckily for him, he discovered the three accused and alerted the police who arrested and charged them to court.