By Saidu Kargbo
Freetown, 30th July 2026- Magistrate Mustapha Braima Jah has continued to hear the fraud case involving defendants Admire Bio Jalloh and Dauda Jalloh at Magistrate Court No. 1, as complainant Alfio Siracusa, an Italian national, testified under oath that the gold sold to him was fake.
Testifying through an interpreter, Siracusa recounted how he was introduced to the defendants by a Lebanese businessman known as “Buddy,” whom he identified as the manager of Lagoonda Restaurant. On the night of the transaction, Buddy allegedly sent a driver in his place to accompany Siracusa to collect the gold.
Siracusa told the court that shortly after receiving the parcel, he was ambushed and robbed by a group of men. He later discovered, with police assistance, that the gold was counterfeit. “It was impossible to purchase one kilogram of 20-carat gold for $70,000,” he said, adding that the seal on the parcel was not the official government brand used for gold exports.
Defence counsel Melron Nicol-Wilson argued that Siracusa’s initial police statement did not directly implicate the defendants nor mention that the gold was fake. He stressed that the matter was serious and that the reputation of his clients was at stake.
Siracusa, however, insisted that the second defendant, Dauda Jalloh, had been present during negotiations, even if not at the moment of delivery. He maintained that if the gold had been genuine, he would not have been attacked.
Magistrate Mustapha Braima Jah pressed Siracusa on why his first police statement failed to mention the alleged fake gold. Siracusa explained that he was not in the right state of mind at the time.
Magistrate Jah assured both parties of a speedy trial, promising that the matter would be concluded within two weeks. He adjourned proceedings to Monday, August 3, 2026, and warned both sides against discussing the case on social media. Any violation, he cautioned, could lead to legal consequences, including a review of the defendants’ bail conditions.
