Freetown Travel Scam: Mother and Son Charged in $150, 000 Fraud Scheme

A mother and son have been remanded in custody in Freetown, facing charges of conspiracy, fraud, and unlawful possession of passports. These charges are linked to a significant travel scam involving fraudulent visa promises.

The accused, Musa Seaport Kamara, 27, a businessman, and Serro Sesay, a businesswoman, appeared before Magistrate John Manso Fornah at Pademba Road Court No. 2 in Freetown. They face three specific charges: conspiracy to defraud, obtaining money by false pretenses, and possession of another person's passport for unlawful purposes.

According to the details of the offense, between November 1st and 30th, 2024, in Tombo, Western Rural Area, Freetown, the accused allegedly conspired with unidentified individuals to defraud Joseph Dawson Kamara of thirty-two thousand United States dollars (equivalent to 768,000 Leones).

On the same dates and at the same location, the second accused, with intent to defraud, reportedly obtained $118,000 from Joseph Dawson Kamara. This was achieved by falsely claiming she would secure Brazilian visas for David Alhaji Mansaray, Assiatu Dawson Kamara, Mildred Dawson Kamara, and Aminata Sesay, knowing these claims to be false.

Furthermore, between January 1st and 31st, 2025, in Ghana, the accused, posing as a recruiter, allegedly knowingly possessed various Sierra Leonean passports belonging to others for unlawful purposes, specifically to restrict victims' movements and facilitate human trafficking.

Upon the reading and explanation of the charges to the accused, no plea was entered.

Prosecution witness number one, Joseph Dawson Kamara, identified the accused individuals. He testified that he became acquainted with the first accused through a travel program for his two children to the United States. He stated that he signed an agreement with the second accused, which remains in his possession and was presented in court as part of the official record.

The witness explained that the second accused confirmed the program's authenticity, and her son, Gibrilla Sesay, was present during the signing. He further testified that the first accused instructed him to provide two passports to Zainab Bangura, his aunt, and that the first accused was in Brazil at that time.

The witness recounted that the first accused subsequently informed him of receiving the passports and assured him that visas would be secured for Aminata Sesay and others, including his two children. He detailed that David Mansaray, Aminata's husband, traveled to Ghana by road, during which the first accused requested and received $4,000 for his children's visas. The witness provided receipts and photographs of these payments, which were submitted as evidence.

The witness also stated that he paid an additional $8,000 to Gibrilla Sesay, the accused’s brother, to expedite the visa process. He further described how, in Ghana, his children were detained due to their fraudulent visas. Owing to Aminata’s pregnancy, they were released and instructed to depart Ghana within 24 hours.

The witness raised $500 to facilitate their return to Sierra Leone and later discovered that the first accused’s Facebook profile matched the individual they had been seeking. He testified that the accused was eventually arrested through INTERPOL and repatriated to Sierra Leone. The total amount paid to the accused was US$32,000, and the witness claimed to have received no further funds since then. He concluded his statement at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) headquarters on Pademba Road.

The witness was cross-examined by Zachariah Azibo Kanu, Esq.

Magistrate Fornah denied bail given the gravity of the charges and adjourned the case to July 16th, 2025.