By sulaiman.sesay@awokonewspapersl.com
Freetown, Thursday, July 10, 2025 – A 36-year-old businessman, Tijan Yarjah, was on Wednesday, 9th July 2025, remanded in custody over allegations of defrauding a fellow car dealer of $20,000 in a fraudulent vehicle transaction.
Appearing before Magistrate John Manso Fornah at the Pademba Road Magistrate Court No. 2 in Freetown, Yarjah was slammed with two counts: conspiracy to defraud and obtaining money by false pretenses.
According to police records, the incident allegedly occurred between March 1 and March 17, 2025, at Jones Street in the Western Area. Yarjah is accused of conspiring with unidentified individuals to defraud Reign Kamara of twenty thousand United States dollars (USD 20,000), equivalent to 472,000 Leones (NLe472,000), under the pretense of selling two vehicles—a 2014 Toyota Wrangler and a 2014 Lexus.
The accused reportedly misled Kamara into believing that the vehicles were available for immediate shipment from the United States. Yarjah did not enter a plea when the charges were read and explained to him in court.
Led in evidence by Deputy Superintendent of Police Sorie Conteh, the complainant, Reign Kamara, identified Yarjah as a fellow car dealer. He testified that Yarjah approached him with claims that his brother in the United States had three vehicles for sale—a Toyota Tundra and two 2014 Lexus models. Yarjah further stated that the cost of shipping each container to Sierra Leone was USD 45,000, and they agreed to ship two containers for a total of USD 90,000.
Kamara told the court he made an initial payment of USD 25,000 and, on Yarjah’s advice, proceeded to a lawyer to formalize the transaction. The agreement was documented and submitted in court as Exhibit A.
Yarjah reportedly assured Kamara that the vehicles would arrive within six weeks and promised to provide tracking information once the containers were loaded. Kamara was to pay the outstanding balance upon delivery.
However, Kamara said that once the six-week period expired, Yarjah began to offer excuses and failed to deliver the vehicles or refund the money. He subsequently reported the matter to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) at Pademba Road. With police assistance, Yarjah was arrested and later made a statement to investigators.
During cross-examination, defense counsel M.S. Saccoh questioned Kamara on aspects of the transaction.
Due to the gravity of the offense, Magistrate Fornah denied bail and ordered that Yarjah be remanded at the Male Correctional Centre in Freetown. The matter was adjourned to Thursday, 17th July 2025. SKS/10/7/2025
