PHOTO: Suspect Yacouba Sawsdogo
TEMPLE OF JUSTICE, Monrovia- As efforts against trafficking in persons are being stepped up both locally and internationally, people are still desperately trying to keep up the practice, as Garmah Never Lomo reports.
Here in Liberia, despite several individuals being arrested, tried and given long sentences for committing this crime, man identified as Yacouba Sawsdogo and other persons have been caught in the dragnet and have now been charged and sent to court by the Liberian National Police.
Mr. Sawsdogo is charged with trafficking in prison and Criminal conspiracy.
The two others are Foday Kabia and Ibrahim Sorie Bangura.
According to the police Charge sheet, on August 15,2023, defendant Yacouba Sawadogo was arrested, acquainted of his constitutional rights, investigated and duly charged along with his two accomplices Foday Kabia and Ibrahim S. Bangura with the commission of the crimes trafficking in person and Criminal conspiracy, which violates Section 2 A and B and 10.4 of the new trafficking in person act and penal law of Liberia.
They are accused of involvement into the recruiting and deceiving several Sierra Leoneans victims (11 persons) namely, Amin Toure, Fatumata Sesay, Cecelia Kargbo, Abdul Bangura, Abass F. Kanu, Hassan A. Kargbo, Hassan Sesay, Amindu Conte, Bangura O. Alien, Ibrahim S. Kamara and Foday O. Bangura from Sierra Leone to Liberia under the pretense of providing them travel opportunity to Canada where they would go work and earn money to better their lives and at the same times they made to paid 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 but they were rather diverted to their business plan with instruction of each of them to bring two additional persons in order to start earning and that they are deprived of their money being refunded.
Victims’ explanation
According to victim Amin Toure in September 2022, he received a call from his brother-in-law Foday telling him that he has a traveling program to travel to Canada through his friend Foday Kamara and that he Amin needed to come Liberia start the process.
The victim said 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 in Kebbah, Barnesville than introduced him to Yacouba Sawadogo, the next day again, he was taken at the office and there he paid the amount of US$1000 for his travel process to Canada. Since then he has not travel but was told to bring two other persons to join the program and requested for his money paid but they have refused to said amount.
Another victim Fatumata Sesay said in May 2023, she was in Sierra Leone when Abraham Bangura called her from Liberia and told her about a traveling program toCanada and asked her to come to Liberia and upon her arrival in Liberia, she met Ibrahim and took her to their office and introduced her to YacouySawadogo who was responsible for processing her traveling documents and she gave Yacouba US1000 for all the documents for the programs up to present, she was not made to travel and her money.
As for Hassan A. Kargbo on June 10,2023, he received a call from Ibrahim Sorie Bangura saying, he has a traveling opportunity to Canada and if he was interested, he should come along with two persons and each person should come with the amount of US1000 for the program. He further said that he paid amount to Yacouba Sawadogo who was introduced to him by Ibrahim S. Bangura as his boss in charge of the program.
He said that during his stay in Liberia, he was denied free movement and it continues with the rest of the victims.
During police in depth investigation conducted at the headquarters of the Liberia National Police surrounding allegations made by victim Amin Toure and other victims, it was gathered that in September 2022 to April 2023 the herewith victims were recruited transported, received, deceived and exploited by defendant Yacouba Sawadogo, Foday Kabia, and Abraham Sorie Bangura by collecting US1,000 from each person under the pretense of providing them travel opportunity to Canada in order to work and earn money that would better their living conditions knowing fully well that Q-net does not have such travel program to Canada and that after they succeeded in extorting their money, they were placed in their Q-net rented homes around Monrovia and could not accord them said travel opportunity but rather subjecting them to a business plan and asking each one to bring in two persons in order to travel.
As for Yacouba Sawadogo having been informed of his Miranda rights, choose to remain silent and not to speak to the investigation regarding the allegations from the victims.
Investigation Findings
That the crimes trafficking in person and Criminal conspiracy were committed by defendant Yacouba Sawadogo, Foday Kabia and Abraham Sorie Bangura.
That the victims were recruited and transported from Sierra Leone to Liberia between 2022 and 2023 under the pretense of providing them travel opportunity to Canada but were diverted to a business plan.
That victim paid US1,000 each to defendant Yacouba Sawadogo and his accomplice Foday Kabia and Ibrahim Sorie Bangura.