Mariama Kamara of Lands Ministry Implicated
By Ahmed Papa Kanu
A scandal of grace public curiosity is unraveling at the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Country Planning as Mariama Kamara, an Assistant Recorder within the institution, faces serious allegations of forging an official survey plan—a move that could have massive legal and institutional repercussions.
According to credible sources within the Ministry, Kamara is being accused of crafting a fraudulent survey plan dated 28th February 2025 in favor of one Misbahou Jalloh. The controversial document bore the official stamp and formatting of legitimate land paperwork, marked with Volume 1015, Page 25 of the Conveyance Register. Most alarmingly, the survey plan also carried what is now believed to be a forged signature of Abraham Cooper, the Deputy Director of Lands.
The forgery came to light when the document was presented to the Office of the Administrator and Registrar General (OARG) for standard verification. Officials there flagged the document almost immediately, citing the absence of a “record of return” from the Ministry of Lands—a mandatory administrative requirement that confirms a survey plan has passed through official channels.
This discrepancy set off alarm bells.
Upon further scrutiny by senior officials at the Ministry, the document was quickly identified as unauthorized and completely fake. An internal investigation was swiftly triggered to trace the origins and execution of the falsified document.
Investigations damning
Sources familiar with the probe alleged that Kamara manipulated the Deputy Director’s signature, using cut-and-paste methods to make the document appear authentic. This deliberate falsification was reportedly done without the knowledge or consent of any senior authority within the Ministry.
As the internal investigation gathered steam, the case was formally handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), which has since launched a full-scale probe into the matter. It remains unclear whether other individuals are implicated in what now appears to be a potentially broader forgery network within the Ministry.
When contacted for a comment on the allegation, Mariama Kamara was uncooperative. She rudely told the investigative journalist, “I have no time to talk to you. Go ahead and write whatever you want.” Her refusal to get her own side only deepens the cloud of suspicion hanging over her.
If these allegations are substantiated, the implications could be severe—not only for Mariama but for the credibility of the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Country Planning as a whole. The case underscores deep flaws in the internal oversight and authentication procedures that govern land documentation in Sierra Leone.
Public trust in the Ministry has already been fragile due to prior incidents of fraud and mismanagement. This latest episode, if confirmed, could deal a significant blow to the Ministry’s image and raise fresh concerns over the safety and legitimacy of land ownership in the country.
In response to the unfolding controversy, the Ministry has issued a statement reaffirming its zero-tolerance policy on corruption and fraud. Officials emphasized that anyone found guilty of tampering with official land records will face the full weight of the law.
As the investigation continues, the public awaits to see if justice will be served—and whether the Ministry can truly clean its house and restore its battered reputation.
