𝐁𝐲 𝐇𝐚𝐣𝐚 𝐀𝐝𝐚𝐦𝐚 𝐊𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐚
Hundreds of thousands of books were allegedly delivered to support education. Now, three Education Secretariat officials are before a Freetown court over claims that the promised payment never came.
Sahr Johnny, Tiva Rogers and Mohamed I. Kallon are standing trial at Pademba Road Court No. 6, where they face two charges: conspiracy to defraud and causing goods to be delivered by false pretences.
The allegations concern 714,500 books valued at NLe 2,666,000. According to the charge sheet, between November 1, 2024, and January 31, 2025, the defendants allegedly conspired to defraud Eric James Lakoh of that amount.
Count two alleges that Johnny and Rogers induced Lakoh to deliver the books to Kallon at the Free Education Secretariat, claiming that payment would be made while knowing the representation was false.
The alleged transaction is said to have taken place at No. 126 Main Regent, Grafton Road, SS Camp, in Freetown.
The allegations have yet to be tested in court. When the charges were read and explained, no plea was taken because the matter is at the committal-proceedings stage. All three defendants were previously granted bail, which continues as the case proceeds.
Magistrate Medissa Massaquio adjourned the matter to November 9, 2026.
For now, the central question is unanswered: were the books supplied on the basis of a false promise of payment, as the prosecution alleges, or will the proceedings establish a different account of the transaction? The court will hear further proceedings before the case advances.
