Defendant Details Alleged $8,000 Land Deal in Court

Defendant Details Alleged $8,000 Land Deal in Court

The Freetown High Court heard detailed testimony on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, from Dr. Richard Konteh, the defendant in a civil suit concerning a land dispute. Konteh provided the court with his account of the alleged transaction involving the purchase of two plots of land.

Dr. Konteh testified that he had negotiated an $8,000 payment with the plaintiff, Marie Sesay, a resident of the United States. He asserted that this sum was intended to cover the acquisition of two plots of land, including associated conveyance and fencing costs.

The plaintiff, through a Writ of Summons, is seeking the recovery of the land situated at Mamah Street, Gloucester, Freetown, along with the reimbursement of $2,000 she claims to have paid to Konteh specifically for fencing a four-plot parcel.

According to Konteh's testimony, negotiations commenced during a 2009 visit to the United States, where Ms. Sesay expressed interest in him purchasing land on her behalf for the construction of a house. He stated she specifically requested two plots, and he agreed to facilitate the purchase upon his return to Freetown.

Konteh further stated that he subsequently provided his bank account details, the payment was made by the plaintiff, and he was prepared to execute the fencing and conveyance of the property.

Konteh informed the court that he had initially planned to develop the entire four-plot parcel he owned at Gloucester for student hostels serving Fourah Bay College but later decided to sell two of the plots. He detailed that a survey was conducted and conveyances were prepared in October 2010, which were then transmitted to the plaintiff via her representative.

The defendant testified that Ms. Sesay confirmed receipt of the conveyance documents in early 2011 via a phone call. However, during cross-examination, the plaintiff's counsel, Augustine Sengu Marrah, raised objections, arguing that certain elements of Konteh’s testimony—specifically the plaintiff thanking him for the conveyance—were not included in the documented evidence served to the defense. The presiding judge permitted the cross-examination to continue.

During further testimony, Konteh acknowledged knowing Hannah Turay and Florence Turay but denied ever showing the land to Florence Turay. He also recounted that the plaintiff had dispatched Abdulai Baratay to inspect the land, and following this inspection, she expressed interest in acquiring all four plots, an offer Konteh claimed he refused.

Konteh also alleged that Florence Turay had reported him to the police concerning a land dispute, which triggered investigations at the Lumley Police Station and the Land Grabbing Unit at CID headquarters. He claimed that family intervention led to a request for him to transfer two of the plots to the plaintiff, but she ultimately declined an offer of alternative parcels.

The hearing was adjourned to February 17, 2026, to allow the legal teams to address the new issues introduced during the witness's testimony.