By: Alieu Ceesay
Alieu Danso, the owner of Almot Real Estate, signed a land deal worth Ten Million and Twenty-Three Thousand Dalasi (D10,023,000) with the Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC) Staff Welfare Association for plots of land in Kachumeh, Kombo South District.
Danso purchased the land from the original owners, the Touray family, for Two Million Dalasi (D2,000,000) and made a profit of Eight Million and Twenty-Three Thousand Dalasi (D8,023,000). However, the former KMC Staff Welfare Association treasurer, Baboucar Sanyang, described Danso as “a dishonest person who was only telling us things that are not true.”
In his testimony, Danso provided the certificate of incorporation of Almot Real Estate Company Limited, its business registration certificate, and the memorandum and articles of association. These documents were admitted as evidence.
Danso said he purchased the land for D2,000,000 and agreed to partition it into plots. He sold 167 plots to the KMC Staff Welfare Association for D10,023,000. He testified that his profit from the deal was supposed to be D8,023,000.
However, Danso admitted that he paid only D350,000 to the landowners and terminated the contract later. The Commission noted that by the time he spent the D350,000, he had already received over One Million Dalasi (D1,000,000) from the KMC Staff Welfare Association. He further admitted receiving over D8,000,000 from the association while defaulting on his obligations to the landowners.
The Touray family entrusted Danso with the land to sell for D2,000,000 and accused him of selling it much more without fulfilling his payments.
“You took money from people and did not pay them. You were allegedly involved in fraud,” Counsel Patrick Gomez said.
The witness admitted that the family sought to recover the money because he had not paid them. They took me to the Fraud Squad because I did not pay them their money,” Danso stated.
A letter from the Touray family terminating their agreement with Danso was also tendered as evidence. The letter detailed that Danso misled the family, claiming the KMC Staff Welfare Association was not paying him. In reality, he had already received significant payments. The family accused him of “giving endless stories” and demanded the return of their land. The letter was copied to the KMC Staff Welfare Association.
“I did not oppose or deny anything in this letter,” Danso said.
Lead Counsel Gomez accused Danso of dishonesty, saying, “You acted very dishonest. If you can do this, having over D8,000,000 profit, you can bribe people to get your way out.”
Gomez also confronted Danso over allegations that he offered D1,000,000 to Sainabou Martin-Sonko for financial benefits from the KMC. He later left D30,000 in her office when his request for D4,000,000 from the KMC failed.
“The D30,000 I gave Sainabou Martin was a loan to her as she was on her way to Senegal and did not have money,” Danso insisted.
Lead Counsel Gomez, however, said Sainabou denied soliciting any financial support or bribes from Danso. She admitted using the D30,000 but maintained that it was placed on her desk without asking.
Gomez also presented Danso’s letter to the KMC requesting D4,000,000, which was tendered in evidence. After initially denying it, Danso admitted to writing the letter.
Baboucar Sanyang, the former KMC Staff Welfare Association treasurer, testified that Danso provided them with an Alkalo transfer and a physical planning document indicating that the land was for agricultural purposes. Sanyang said the association demanded a land use change, but Danso never fulfilled this obligation.
He explained that the KMC Staff Welfare Association paid Danso through deductions from KMC staff salaries. He revealed that Danso requested loans from the association twice, but both requests were turned down.
Sanyang further testified that the initial agreement was for 190 plots of land, but after demarcation, they realized there were only 160 plots. Danso then gave the association an additional 30 plots at Kitty.
“Mr. Danso was not telling us the truth,” Sanyang said.
He added that after meeting with the Touray family, he realized Danso was merely a middleman. The family informed him they had also sold the land to another real estate company, Smiling Coast Real Estate, which similarly defaulted on payments.
Sanyang concluded that the family would sell the land to the Staff Welfare Association for D4,000,000. Still, he could not proceed further because he was suspended.
“Mr. Danso was not telling us the truth,” he reiterated.
