Qnet: Criminal Enterprise!!

By Alusine Fullah

It is still in record that several accredited institutions like Sierra Leone Police have declared Qnet as a criminal enterprise. In line with that, on Tuesday 31^st January, 2023 in a press conference, the Sierra Leone Police declared Qnet as a criminal enterprise. Assistant Commissioner of Police, Brima Kamara further called on members of the general public to disassociate themselves with Qnet. ASP Kamara assured the public that the SLP is on course to track the enterprise wherever it is in the country, stating that even though they are registered with the SLP they will still go after them, until they stops operations.

Despite the above pronouncement by the Sierra Leone, criminal activities are still raining cats and dogs at the doors of thousands of Sierra Leoneans. In line with that, based on an intelligence-led operation conducted on Thursday 20th July 2023, at 294 Bai Bureh Road, Sayenoh Junction, CalabaTown, several persons of interest have been arrested by a joint regional team of police personnel of the Freetown-East region. Acting on the instructions of the Regional Commanding Officer ACP Dr. John Martin Senesie, a Search Warrant was conducted at the said premise where several pieces of documentary evidence were discovered that indicated Qnet modus operandi.

This investigation came in the heels of complaints made by some Sierra Leoneans, who are presently stranded at Lungi and in other places after they were scammed monies they paid ranging from eight million to thirteen million Leones each on the pretext of taking them to Malaysia to pursue higher education and to do menial jobs. One of the victims by the name of Hawa Sannoh, in explaining her ordeal said one Foday Jayah, convinced them about the authenticity of the program adding how they then travelled to Lungi where they paid the money at the QNET International branch office to one Mr Maadason Vao, in the company of some of his colleagues

Shedding tears while giving their narrative to the police, Fatmata Bangura of Portee, Bintu Sono of Kenema, and Sia Lebbie revealed that the total sum of thirty thousand New Leones (Le 30,000) was obtained from each of them with the pretext that they will facilitate their traveling to Canada. “They requested that I should also come with two individuals for the program to work, and I came with my parents that also paid Le 30,000 each”…Fatmata lamented.

Musa Mahmoud Kamara of Jalloh Terrace, a Qnet worker and key suspect in this matter, referred to most of the people arrested as Independent Representatives that were been taught on various online courses for overseas job employment.

Turning the mike on the management of Qnet, Lawyers representing Q-NET, Musa Pious Hermon Sesay and Bestman D. Juah have told this medium that: “Qnet which is an entity involved in the purchasing of goods online and does not offer overseas travels to any individual. The company is not a criminal enterprise.