Africa-Press – Sierra-Leone. The Deputy Director of Surveys at the Ministry of Lands, Abraham Cooper, on Tuesday, July 15 2025, took the witness stand before Magistrate Augustine Brima Samura of Pademba Road Court No. 8 to testify in a case involving two surveyors accused of forgery.
The accused, Ahmed Mansaray (39) and Maligie Kanu (33), made their first appearance in court on multiple charges related to the alleged forgery and submission of fake National Revenue Authority (NRA) survey receipts to the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Country Planning (MLHCP) at Youyi Building in Freetown.
According to Cooper, on June 10, 2025, the first accused, Mansaray, submitted three survey plans with NRA payment receipts through an assistant named Paul Turay to the charting officer Charles Senesie. Senesie flagged the documents as suspicious due to the absence of the NRA-issued One-Time Password (OTP), a security code generated for all valid transactions.
The receipts, dated March 24 and 25, 2025, were connected to survey plans numbered NA 35205, NA 34125, and NA 32201, each claiming a payment of Le53 allegedly made by Isatu Isha Dumbuya.
Cooper said the matter was referred immediately to the Environmental Crime Unit at CID Headquarters. He also confirmed that the accused were handed over to the police and that he gave a formal statement regarding the incident.
The seven-count charge against the accused includes:
Count 1: Conspiracy to commit a crime, contrary to law
Counts 2–4: Forgery, contrary to Section 2(1)(a) of the Forgery Act of 1913
Counts 5–7: Uttering forged documents, contrary to Section 6(1)(2) of the Forgery Act of 1913
Led by Assistant Commissioner of Police Joan M.S. Bull and Detective Police Constable 14898 Joseph Lamin Dumbuya, the prosecution attempted to tender the forged receipts in court. However, defence counsel A.O. Gbla objected, arguing that Cooper was not the author, recipient, or rightful custodian of the documents.
The prosecution responded that as Deputy Director, Cooper had legal custody of the files since they were submitted to his department for processing. Magistrate Samura ruled in favour of the prosecution, accepting the receipts into evidence.
During questioning, Mansaray reportedly admitted to submitting the documents but claimed that Kanu had issued the forged receipts—an allegation that Kanu denied.
At the end of the hearing, Magistrate Samura refused bail and remanded both accused to the Male Correctional Centre in Freetown. The case was adjourned to a new date for the official tendering of the original survey plans.
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