An All People’s Congress (APC) flag bearer aspirant, Dr. Richard Conteh, has been sued at the High Court in Freetown over allegations of land fraud involving an $8,000 payment, court documents show.
In a writ of summons filed before Justice Manuela A.J. Harding, the plaintiff, Marie Sesay, a Sierra Leonean resident in the United States, is seeking the recovery of a two-town plot of land located at Mamah Street, Gloucester, in the western area of Sierra Leone, along with the refund of $2,000 allegedly paid for fencing and conveyancing.
According to the plaintiff’s lawyer, Augustine Sengu Marrah, Sesay claims she paid Dr. Conteh $8,000 in 2010 for the purchase of four town plots of land in Freetown, at an agreed price of $2,000 per plot. She further alleges that an additional $2,000 was paid to facilitate the construction of a perimeter fence and the execution of a deed of conveyance.
Testifying in court on Monday, Florence Turay, the plaintiff’s younger sister, said Dr. Conteh had offered to help secure land for Sesay during a visit to the United States. Turay told the court that the payments were made in two instalments—$5,000 and $3,000—into Dr. Conteh’s U.S. bank account.
She said that despite the payments, the defendant failed for a long period to show the plaintiff the land. Turay testified that Dr. Conteh initially showed the plaintiff’s niece, Anna Turay, a parcel of land at Tree Planting, Leicester Road, which was rejected due to its condition. She said a second parcel at Mamah Street, Gloucester, was later accepted.
Turay further testified that when a deed of conveyance was eventually produced, it covered only two town plots instead of the four plots allegedly paid for. She said the plaintiff rejected the document and demanded a conveyance reflecting the full four plots.
The witness also alleged that Dr. Conteh attempted to resell the two plots and later offered alternative land near a community cemetery, which the plaintiff refused. She said when the plaintiff attempted to take possession of the remaining land, Dr. Conteh reported her to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for trespass, denying any sale of the land.
Another witness, Reverend Allan Sesay, told the court he sold four town plots of land to Dr. Conteh and was informed the land would be used to construct student hostels. He said Dr. Conteh later instructed his personal assistant and a surveyor to divide the land into two plots and presented two separate conveyances for him to sign.
Reverend Sesay testified that one of the conveyances bore the name of the plaintiff, Marie Sesay, while neither bore the name of Dr. Conteh. He said he was later questioned by police in relation to the transaction.
Both witnesses were cross-examined by defence counsel. Dr. Conteh was absent from court.
The case was adjourned to Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2026, for continuation.
By Feima Sesay
