-For scamming and trafficking 11 (Eleven) Sierra Leoneans.
By: G Bennie Bravo Johnson I
Liberia National Police has charged and forwarded to court three men believed to be the operators and owners of Q-net, for committing “Trafficking in Persons and Criminal Conspiracy”.
“Wherefore and in view of the foregoing, the investigation has resolved to charge Yacouba Sawadogo with the commission of the crimes “Trafficking in Persons and Criminal Conspiracy while Foday Kabia and Ibrahim S. Bangura to be identified are likewise charged in absentia with the same crime.”
According to the police, the crimes violates chapter 2 A and B of the new trafficking in persons act and chapter 10, section 10.4 of the penal law of Liberia.
It can be recalled that on Tuesday August 15, 2023, for allegations of trafficking labeled against defendant YacoubaSawadogo, he arrested and acquainted with his constitutional rights, investigated and duly charged along with his two accomplices Foday Kabia and Abraham S, Bangura with the commission of the crimes “Trafficking in Persons and Criminal Conspiracy.”
The crime which violates section 2 A & B and 10.4 of the new Trafficking in Persons Act and the Penal Law of Liberia, was brought against them due to their involvement in the recruiting and deceiving several Sierra Leoneans.
Those eleven persons who were victimized by the alleged criminal tricks are; Amin Toure, Fatumata Sesay, Cecelia Kargbo, Abdui Bangura, Abass F. kanu, Hassan A. Kargbo, Hassan Sesay, Amindu Conte, Bangura O. Alieu, Ibrahim S. Kamara and Foday 0. Bangura).
They were brought from Sierra Leone to Liberia, under the pretense of providing them travel opportunities to Canada where they would work and earn money to better their lives.
As revealed by the victims, they were made to pay US$1000 each at their Kebbah Q-net office in Bardnesville and have since been kept in an isolated place under the Q-net office control and did not travel to Canada.
They stated that they were rather diverted to their business plan with instruction given for each of them to bring two additional persons in order to start earning and that they are deprived of their money being refunded.
In the testimonies gathered from some of the victims, they were made to believe in traveling to attain a better life but never came to reality.
According to victim Amin Toure, in September 2022 he received a call from his brother-in – law Foday, who told him that he has a travelling program to travel to Canada through his friend Foday Kamara and that Amin needed to come to Liberia to start the process.
He said that on September 9, 2023, he came to Monrovia and met Foday Kabia who took him immediately to their office Blue Diamond 006 (Q-net), located if Kebbah, Barnersville and later have him introduced him to Yacouba Sawadogo.
Amin added that the next day again he was taken to the office and there he paid the amount of one thousand United States for his travel process to Canada. Since then he has not traveled but was told to bring two other persons to join the program and has requested for his money paid but they have refused to return said amount.
In furtherance, victim Fatumata Saysay revealed that in May 2023, she was in Sierra Leone when Abraham Bangura called her from Liberia and told her about a travelling program to Canada and asked her to come to Liberia, upon her arrival in Liberia, he took her to their office and introduced her to Yacouba Sawadogo who was responsible to process her travelling documents.
She further stated that $USD1000,00 was given to Yacoubar, for all the documents for the program but she didn’t as she was told and she has not gotten her money either.
