By: Joseph Momoh, Reporter
The land dispute between Dr. Richard Conteh, a prominent public official, and Marie Sesay has intensified, with Dr. Conteh filing a counterclaim against the plaintiff. This legal confrontation follows Sesay’s initial lawsuit concerning two town lots of land on Mamah Street, Gloucester, Western Freetown.
Marie Sesay alleges that Dr. Conteh facilitated the purchase of the land on her behalf but failed to deliver as agreed. She is demanding either possession of the full property or a refund of $2,000, which she claims was sent for constructing a perimeter fence. Additionally, she is seeking costs, general damages, and other court orders deemed appropriate.
In his defense and counterclaim, Dr. Conteh disputes these allegations, asserting that he sold only two town lots with an existing perimeter fence for $8,000. He denies that the sale involved four town lots or that the $2,000 payment was for additional fencing. Conteh claims he properly demarcated and transferred the two town lots to Sesay, with a conveyance registered in her name.
Dr. Conteh contends that the plaintiff disrupted his construction work to separate her land from his property, leading to conflict. He argues that Sesay did not contest the land’s size or boundaries for years until her attorney, Florence Turay, intervened, escalating the dispute. The situation worsened when Turay reported the matter to the Land Grabbing Unit of the CID, prompting Sesay to instruct her lawyers to demand additional land from Conteh. He claims these actions resulted in defamatory statements against him, causing reputational harm and distress.
Conteh is seeking court orders to declare him the rightful owner of the Mamah Street land, issue an injunction preventing Sesay or her associates from accessing, leasing, or selling the property, and award damages for defamation and costs. The court will now decide on these competing claims in a high-stakes legal battle that has drawn public and political attention.
