By Emma Black
Magistrate Augustine Brima Samura
Two businessmen, 24-year-old Ibrahim Mustapha Jabbie and 33-year-old Abdul Barrie, were on Monday, May 26, 2025, brought before Magistrate Augustine Brima Samura of Pademba Road Court No. 4 in Freetown, facing five counts related to an alleged money-doubling scam, the charges include conspiracy to defraud, knowingly possessing counterfeit materials, possessing implements of forgery, and two counts of obtaining money by false pretences.
According to the charge sheet, between January 1 and February 28, 2025, the accused persons, with intent to defraud, conspired with unknown individuals to deceive one Amidu Jalloh into handing over Le1,226,000 by falsely claiming they could double the amount.
Count two alleges that on May 2, 2025, at Madina, off Wilkinson Road in Freetown, the accused were found in possession of special paper resembling that used to print U.S. dollar notes without any lawful excuse or authority.
On the same day and location, police say the accused were also caught with forgery implements, including white and black paper, a cup of ABRO spray, a kitchen knife, sponge soaked in black chemical, black shoe polish, four syringes, two injection needles, and a bottle wrapped in silver plastic containing eight candles.
In a separate incident on January 22, 2025, the accused reportedly obtained Le500,000 from Jalloh by falsely claiming they would double the amount. Again, on February 7, 2025, at Rawdon Street in Freetown, they allegedly defrauded him of US$30,000 (equivalent to Le726,000) under the same pretext. No pleas were taken when the charges were read.
Led in evidence by Assistant Commissioner of Police Joan M.S. Bull, the first prosecution witness, businessman Amidu Jalloh, testified that he met the second accused (Abdul Barrie), who introduced him to a business proposal. Barrie allegedly convinced him to invest Le500,000 with the promise of purchasing goods in Guinea and sharing profits upon his return.
However, weeks passed with no communication, prompting suspicion. Jalloh said Barrie eventually confessed that the money had been used in a failed money-printing operation due to a shortage of chemicals. Barrie then attempted to solicit more money to purchase additional chemicals and introduced Jalloh to a man he claimed was his boss, Abdul Aziz Jalloh.
Jalloh testified that after days of persuasion, he met with both accused and Abdul Aziz Jalloh at his home. There, in the presence of another man named Ibrahim Jalloh, he handed over US$30,000 for the purported printing operation, the money was collected at midnight, with promises of receiving doubled notes by morning but the suspects never contacted him again.
Realizing he had been defrauded, Jalloh said he alerted authorities, and a sting operation was arranged during which the second accused was arrested. A search of their Wilkinson Road residence yielded no results, but a follow-up search at another location led to the discovery of materials suspected to be used in producing counterfeit notes. Ibrahim Mustapha Jabbie (the first accused) was arrested at that second location and identified by Barrie as a co-conspirator.
The accused are not legally represented, given the serious nature of the offenses, Magistrate Samura denied bail and adjourned the matter to June 4, 2025.
Copy right –Printed in the Expo Times News on Friday, May 30TH, 2025 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)
