By Prince J Musa in Kenema
Three persons Abubakar Fofana, Nancy Murray, and Augustine Sahr Lebbie all of Burma II section, Kenema district have been arrested and detained by the Police for fraudulently collecting monies from people in various communities around Kenema.
Based on the victim’s statements, the three suspects allegedly embarked on registering people for a fee of 5 New Leones under the name of an organization named Grassroots Movement where they are staff, promising to offer loans in return.
Some community people reportedly became suspicious and approached the regional Chairperson of Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) East, Victoria Vandi Barnard to express their concerns and for local authorities to intervene.
Barnard reportedly led the people to the Police station where a formal complaint was lodged. Arrests were then made.
Controversy soon ensued after the suspected fraudsters were released on bail. The aggrieved people became agitated and to stop the matter from escalating, the Regional Police Commissioner East, Andrew Mustapha Kamara instructed that the suspects be rearrested and detained until investigations were thoroughly conducted.
The Commissioner cautioned the crime officer that, the investigation officers only need to obtain statements from three to four of the affected people that were defrauded by the suspects as strong evidence in the matter.
When contacted, the District Coordinator of Grass root Movement, Foday Faboi told Politico that he had some time ago asked the suspects to return monies collected from the people which they promised to do but were yet to do so.
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