By Kadijatu Bangura, Reporter D.S
Multiple legal proceedings against Tarine Keve Fairman Sr., an African-American investor and former FBI Special Agent, have been discharged in Sierra Leone due to lack of prosecution, highlighting a complex transnational business dispute with alleged criminal elements.
On April 23, 2025, the Magistrate Court, led by His Worship Magistrate Sahr Kekura, dismissed a case brought by the Inspector General of Police against Fairman. The court noted the prosecution’s repeated failure to appear, compounded by difficulties in securing witness testimony from individuals residing in Japan. Citing Section 94 of the Criminal Procedure Act No. 32 of 1965, the defense successfully argued for the discharge on the grounds of the prosecution’s absences. “This matter is discharged due to several adjournments caused by the prosecution’s absence,” the Magistrate ruled.
Similarly, in a High Court civil suit involving DDE Fintech Holdings Japan—represented by Tokuro Kudo, who claims a 49% stake in DDE F Tech Africa (SL) Limited—Justice L. Taylor J. struck out the action against Fairman on April 14, 2025. This ruling followed a Certificate of Non-Entry for Trial and a submission from defense counsel M.N. Bah, vacating all subsequent orders related to the writ of summons, with costs awarded in the cause.
The backdrop to these court proceedings reveals a troubling international narrative. Fairman, who holds Sierra Leonean citizenship under President Ret. Brig. Gen. Julius Maada Bio’s Black American Heritage Program, alleges he has been targeted by a criminal conspiracy involving the Japanese Yakuza, a notorious transnational crime syndicate.
Reports suggest that the Yakuza has defrauded global investors of over $300 million. In an apparent attempt to divert scrutiny, the syndicate allegedly fabricated claims against Fairman, accusing him of misappropriating funds and falsely linking him to a non-existent diamond mining operation in Sierra Leone. Fairman contends that these allegations were strategically timed to undermine his credibility as a key witness in an ongoing case against Japanese nationals in Tokyo.
Sources indicate that the Yakuza has expanded its influence in Sierra Leone by bribing public officials to mischaracterize a commercial dispute as a criminal matter. Fairman, who has made substantial investments in Sierra Leone’s mining, disaster preparedness, and security sectors, maintains an unblemished record in both the U.S. and Sierra Leone.
In contrast, his former Japanese business associates, including Michio Kamiya, Tokuro Kudo, and Yoshimitu Ishikawa, reportedly have extensive histories of financial fraud and criminal misconduct.
With the recent legal cases dismissed, Fairman’s legal team is calling for an investigation into the motivations behind the allegations, which they describe as part of a “coordinated international smear campaign” against their client.
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