Man charged for impersonating SLAJ President
Freetown – Magistrate Johannes Olusegun Wellington of Court No 2 today remanded Francis Tokowa at the maximum Pademba Road prison in Freetown after he was charged with three counts of conspiracy, impersonation and forgery. He pleaded not guilty. The matter was adjourned to the 27 October 2010.
On Friday 15 October 2010, Tokowa went to Diana Konomanyi, an active member of the governing All People’s Congress party, after she had received a call from someone pretending to be Umaru Fofana, the President of SLAJ and BBC correspondent.
The caller had solicited money from Ms Konomanyi who doubted his identity. She then invited him to her house. The caller said he could not go there and would rather send someone else with a note authenticating his claim. Later, the accused showed up at Ms Konomanyi’s house with a forged letter bearing a fake letterhead of SLAJ and a forged signature of Mr Fofana’s.
Ms Konomanyi then called a friend for Mr Fofana’s number which did not match that of the impostor’s. She then decided to call the SLAJ President to find out what was happening. Mr Fofana, who was on his way to Kono in the east of the country then pleaded with Ms Konomanyi to delay Mr Tokowa. He then called Assistant Inspector General of Police, Chris Charlie who alerted the CID at Lumley who dashed and arrested Tokowa.
“This is not the first time I have been impersonated; even this week someone attempted to impersonate me”, says the SLAJ President. “Sometime last year again someone went to the Comium mobile phone company pretending to be me and saying that he was getting married and needed assistance. I understand he was given some money before it was realised that he was an impostor”, continues Mr Fofana, who thanked Ms Konomanyi for her “cooperation and sense of purpose shown in this matter”. He pleaded with the public to help weed out those impersonating people in society to tarnish their hard-earned reputation.
SLAJ, Freetown
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