“Lies, Criminal Scheme To Extort Money”; Gambian Consulate Reacts To Alleged Fake Diamond Story

The Gambian Consulate in Liberia has sharply reacted to an alleged connection with the sale of a fake diamond to Solomon Kamara, describing the allegation as concocted lies, a malicious attempt to tarnish the reputation of the Gambian Consul, and a criminal scheme to extort money.

   Speaking to the Hot Pepper over the weekend, the Gambian Consul-General, Ismaila Sesay, nullified what he described as an organized criminal scheme set up by certain unscrupulous individuals aimed at smearing his hard-earned reputation and that of the Gambian Consulate in Liberia.

   Consular Sesay said in spite of his commitment to nurturing togetherness, upholding human dignity and respect for all, both in the private and diplomatic sectors, certain miscreants, seemingly driven by a sinister plan, have chosen to design lies to intentionally blur his image.

   Responding to Solomon Kamara’s alleging to have bought a diamond that originated from him, Consular Sesay disclosed that Kamara was not the buyer of the gem, but instead fronted for a British-Egyptian, Marmud, whom Kamara claimed to be his in-law. According to him, Kamara even had the audacity to file a complaint before the Judge of the West Point Magisterial Court, Jormah Jallah, in regards to the false allegation.

   He stated that, with further intent to smear his good name, Kamara took a headline in the Wednesday, September 24 edition of the Hot Pepper, “Gambian Diplomat Appears In Court Monday; In Connection With The Sale Of Fake Diamond”.

   However, the Gambian diplomat unequivocally dismissed Kamara’s allegation as complete nonsense and diabolical, with no basis and iota of truth. He told the Hot Pepper that he had bought a gem and given it out for sale to one of his lieutenants, and in the event the British-Egyptian purchased it. “I thoroughly tested the stone in my office before giving it out,” Sesay noted.

   He said following the testing of the diamond before the buyer’s eyes, he (the buyer) requested for a counter-testing, and after taking the stone away for three hours satisfactorily confirmed that the stone was clean, faultless and a real diamond. Appearing emotional over the allegation, he disclosed that Marmud paid only US$5,400 for the gem based on an agreement struck during the deal, and not US$10,845 as is being claimed.

   Unfortunately, he said, Marmud smuggled the stone to England only to return after over a month to claim that the stone was fake. “Upon Marmud’s return to Liberia, he presented a conflicting case over the gem, arguing that the stone weighed 7.23 carat when tested in the UK,  when in fact it weighed 7.21 carat prior to Marmud’s departure from Liberia,” he told the paper.

   Investigation conducted by the Hot Pepper into the matter has ascertain that Solomon Kamara is not the buyer of the gem, and that no transaction transpired between the Gambian Consul General and Kamara.

      Findings also showed that Marmud flew the gem out of the country without prior knowledge to the seller or the Ministry of Land and Mines, which contravenes Liberian laws on minerals.

   The paper made effort to contact Marmud via his telephone number, ‪+447440056088, in order to verify his action, but up to press time attempts to reach him has proved futile.

   Some members of the Diamond Brokers Association of Liberia confided in the paper that it sounds strange for a stone to be in the possession of a buyer for more than a day and returned with the claim that it is fake, least to say more than a month. They say the stakes in the diamond business are very high; as such, a seller can only allow a buyer to be in possession of a stone for a period reasonable to carry out the necessary tests required to legitimize whether it is fake or real.

   Also, an official of the Ministry of Land and Mines, who preferred anonymity, told this paper Marmud’s failure to comply with the ministry’s regulations prior to his departure with the diamond was illegal and amounts to punishment by law.

   As it regards the lawsuit against the diplomat, Judge Jomah Jallah of the West Point court has reportedly dismissed the case after finding out that the allegation against the defendant had no magnitude that warrants any litigation.

   According to information, at no time the Gambian diplomat was detained; rather, he only appeared at the court after the judge called the parties involved to a conference for preliminary hearing, at which time he made known his diplomatic status.

   Meanwhile, the Gambian diplomat has threatened a lawsuit against Kamara and his accomplices. Investigation continues.