Surveyor Kamara (holding the car door) sold land that does not belong to him
photo: Peter Toby

A licensed surveyor at Liberia’s ministry of lands, mines and energy Arah Kamara, a Sierra Leonean, has been convicted for illegally selling 500 acres of land valued at US$4 million.

Criminal Court ‘C’ jury last Friday brought down a unanimous guilty verdict against Mr. Kamara  noting  that the evidence produced by  the state was overwhelming to convict the defendant of the crime theft of property.

The jurors affirm the verdict when each one of them was pulled in open court where they all responded by saying “Yes this is our verdict”.

Kamara was arraigned in court on February 11, where he denied selling 500 acres of land belonging to the late Elizabeth Moore-Johnson, valued at US$4 million.

The late Elizabeth Moore-Johnson’s grandchildren claim in the three-page indictment that in 1977 they acquired 500 acres of land out of 800 acres from their late grandmother in lower Virginia area, Montserrado County.

They said because their grandmother wanted to keep close control of the land, she hired the services of  Mr. Kamara, a registered land surveyor at the ministry.

According to the indictment, Mr. Kamara was hired to conduct survey services on their behalf from time to time and was paid for these services.

In addition, he was given half (1/2) lot at no cost on which he resides today, according to the document.

In the indictment, the children claimed that their late grandmother sold 300 acres out of the 800 acres of land, including the land sold to the Government of Liberia for the purpose of constructing the road leading to the OAU conference Center.

They further informed the grand jury that, without their consent, defendant Kamara intentionally sold the remaining 500 acres of land, which was given to them, for US$4-million.

The indictment stated that the late Elizabeth Moore-Johnson entrusted the defendant with the land documents including deeds, maps and diagrams for the 800 acres when they sought refuge out of Liberia during the Liberian civil war.

Defendant Kamara used this opportunity to take ownership of the remaining 500 acres of land to perpetrate his alleged criminal act by selling the land, the indictment stated.

Former President Charles Taylor, Emmanuel Shaw, Sam Gibson and Dr. Foday Kromah and others  bought several lots from the defendant Kamara, according to the indictment.

Peter N. Toby