By Mahmud Tim Kargbo
The release of the first and second sets of redacted forged land plans did more than reveal technical manipulation. It exposed a criminal architecture that has quietly reshaped land ownership across the Western Area for many years. Public reaction confirmed what many Sierra Leoneans already suspected. The forgeries are not isolated. They are not accidental. They are not the work of petty fraudsters acting in isolation. They are the output of a system.
This third instalment examines the inner workings of that system. It traces the human networks, insider operations, document workshops and procedural sabotage that enable the cartel to seize state land and the land of highly vulnerable individuals, dispossess citizens and erode public institutions. The findings draw upon testimonies, administrative inconsistencies, internal audit traces, document forensics and accounts provided by officials under strict protective measures.
All names, addresses, job titles and identifying characteristics that could expose individuals have been fully redacted to safeguard whistleblowers and preserve the integrity of potential future inquiries.
THE ARCHITECTURE OF THE CARTEL
The cartel is not a single organisation. It has no central command. It is a decentralised alliance that operates across institutions, communities and legal channels. Each component plays a distinct role.
The investigation identifies three main operational pillars.
PILLAR ONE: THE INTERNAL FACILITATORS
These individuals sit inside the state. They hold access rather than power. Yet access is what makes the cartel possible.
They control:
- confidential files
- historic layouts
- archived correspondence
- authentic signature samples
- outdated stamps
- internal notes not meant for the public
A retired Ministry official described their role succinctly:
“Without accomplices inside the system, none of the forged plans would look credible. The forgers copy from originals most people will never see. Every forged document begins with someone inside opening a door that should remain locked.”
Internal audits and administrative anomalies uncovered:
- removed or substituted register pages
- layouts missing from archives but reappearing inside forged plans
- reference letters issued without corresponding entries in official logs
- authentic signatures placed on documents with non standard formatting
- survey sheets once thought lost resurfacing in counterfeit layouts
These irregularities confirm a consistent pattern of insider support.
PILLAR TWO: THE DOCUMENT ENGINEERS
This group forms the technical workshop of the cartel. It includes quack surveyors, corrupt survey technicians, layout designers, typists, licensed surveyors acting as double agents and certain print shops known for producing illicit documents.
A forensic analyst who examined thirty- seven forged plans noted:
“Almost every document carries three fingerprints: identical print shop textures, outdated watermarks and recurring typist errors. This is a production line. Not improvisation.”
They rely on:
- old Ministry logos kept beyond official retirement
- signature templates used to fabricate Licence Surveyor approvals
- high resolution scans of stamps originally meant to exist only as physical seals
- layout sheets preserved from past decades
- authentic but outdated government fonts
The recurrence of these elements across districts and years confirms the presence of a stable document factory.
PILLAR THREE: THE POWER BROKERS
These individuals never touch a forged document. Their influence is strategic and defensive.
They provide:
- injunction protection
- political cover
- pressure on civil servants
- interference with enforcement
- access to legal intermediaries
- influence over community actors
A judicial insider explained:
“An injunction issued at the right moment can freeze the whole Ministry. When the freeze takes effect, they do not need months. Sometimes days are enough.”
Documented incidents include:
- sudden withdrawals of enforcement teams
- unexplained cancellations of police support
- cases disappearing from court listings
- disputes escalating into legal battles after forged plans were submitted
These patterns reflect deliberate obstruction, not bureaucratic accident.
NEW TESTIMONY FROM A FORMER DIRECTOR OF SURVEYS AND LANDS
A former Director, speaking anonymously, revealed how technical processes are manipulated:
“Sometimes corrupt cartel aligned officials in positions of trust push to ensure a particular transaction goes through. They recruit a quack surveyor or even a qualified licensed surveyor within their network. The surveyor measures the land. If he discovers overlaps or inconsistencies, he avoids the formal process and uses insider contacts to chart the plan privately. He identifies the problem and adjusts the coordinates to satisfy what they call instructions from above. This is not for public service. It is to protect certain interests.”
The former Director added:
“When I detected such inconsistencies, I rejected the plan and insisted on a site visit. The surveyor returned to his cartel sponsors who then exerted pressure on the Honourable Minister. After being briefed by his technical team, the Minister supported the rules and refused manipulation. This is when the attacks began. They used blackmail, misinformation and sensational headlines to make us appear incompetent and to pretend the Ministry was obstructing development.”
The former Director concluded:
“I believe the current Minister and his technical heads are unpopular because they continue to dismantle the cartel’s defences. I have heard senior officials say he treats everyone who brings a land matter to him as a suspect until proven otherwise. The President is yet to understand the full depth of this situation. It is worse than what reaches his table. Some sitting Ministers are also involved.”
This testimony aligns closely with the patterns documented in earlier instalments.
HOW THE CARTEL PROFITS: THE BUSINESS MODEL
The investigation mapped ten major cases. Across all ten, the cartel followed a consistent six stage operational method.
Stage One: Identify land vulnerable to capture
Targets include:
- state plots not yet formally demarcated
- government reserves awaiting development
- land owned by citizens unable to defend their property
- locations with incomplete administrative histories
- areas where older layouts can be manipulated
Stage Two: Manufacture documentation
Cartel engineers produce:
- a forged plan
- a fabricated signature block
- an invented reference number
- a digitally copied stamp impression
- a false receipt or correspondence trail
Stage Three: Introduce or activate the forged plan
This is done by:
- presenting documents to buyers
- filing them in court
- using them to secure injunctions
- presenting them to traditioAnal authorities
- submitting them to unsuspecting land officers who cannot immediately detect fraud
Stage Four: Secure protection
Political or judicial intermediaries freeze, delay or completely block enforcement operations at critical moments.
Stage Five: Parcel and sell rapidly
During the enforcement freeze, the land is:
- subdivided
- fenced
- sold in small units
- built upon in some cases
Stage Six: Disappear
By the time injunctions are lifted or cases are reviewed, the landscape has changed, the forged plan has served its purpose and innocent buyers have become the newest victims.
TESTIMONIES FROM WITHIN THE SYSTEM
Ministry Staff Member:
“Some papers look official but the reference numbers do not exist. Others match files that disappeared years ago. Once an injunction is issued, we cannot act even when the documents appear false.”
Community Elder:
“They bring stamped papers, name powerful people and show photos of offices. The ordinary citizen cannot tell what is real.”
Survey Technician:
“There are professional surveyors, and there are the ones loyal to the cartel. They do not measure land. They copy old layouts, adjust them and print them. They damage the entire profession.”
THE HUMAN IMPACT: VICTIMS AND CONCERNED CITIZENS
To preserve confidentiality, all identities are fully redacted. Their accounts reveal additional layers of systemic failure.
Common experiences include:
- land resold when owners fail to develop it
- families denying past sales despite signed documents
- LS Numbers allegedly deleted and replaced by cartel aligned surveyors
- legitimate coordinates replaced with wrong systems
- unauthorised conversion of old coordinates into new ones
- judges relying on surveyors loyal to litigants rather than the technical heads of the Ministry
- concerns that the digital geo mapping register may have been compromised
One victim said:
“I was not fighting ordinary grabbers. I was fighting a network that understood the system better than I ever could.”
Another noted:
“If the digital land register has been tampered with, then those entrusted to protect the public interest have violated it.”
A third remarked:
“Up country it is even worse. Land can be seized or resold simply because prices rise or a new buyer offers more.”
These accounts deepen the investigative landscape and form part of the ongoing inquiry.
THE INTERNATIONAL COMPONENT
The investigation has uncovered early signs of an international dimension:
- foreign actors using proxies to purchase land with forged documents
- offshore companies acquiring land never legally transferred
- external speculators partnering with local networks
- legal representatives filing documents without proper verification
This trajectory indicates that the cartel’s operations may extend across borders.
RIGHT TO REPLY
All institutions and individuals referenced in connection with the documents examined in this feature have been contacted. Several have confirmed internal reviews. Others have offered no response. Verified replies will be published in the fourth and final instalment.
The release of the first and second sets of redacted forged land plans did more than reveal technical manipulation. It exposed a criminal architecture that has quietly reshaped land ownership across the Western Area for many years. Public reaction confirmed what many Sierra Leoneans already suspected. The forgeries are not isolated. They are not accidental. They are not the work of petty fraudsters acting in isolation. They are the output of a system.
This third instalment examines the inner workings of that system. It traces the human networks, insider operations, document workshops and procedural sabotage that enable the cartel to seize state land and the land of highly vulnerable individuals, dispossess citizens and erode public institutions. The findings draw upon testimonies, administrative inconsistencies, internal audit traces, document forensics and accounts provided by officials under strict protective measures.
All names, addresses, job titles and identifying characteristics that could expose individuals have been fully redacted to safeguard whistleblowers and preserve the integrity of potential future inquiries.
THE ARCHITECTURE OF THE CARTEL
The cartel is not a single organisation. It has no central command. It is a decentralised alliance that operates across institutions, communities and legal channels. Each component plays a distinct role.
The investigation identifies three main operational pillars.
PILLAR ONE: THE INTERNAL FACILITATORS
These individuals sit inside the state. They hold access rather than power. Yet access is what makes the cartel possible.
They control:
- confidential files
- historic layouts
- archived correspondence
- authentic signature samples
- outdated stamps
- internal notes not meant for the public
A retired Ministry official described their role succinctly:
“Without accomplices inside the system, none of the forged plans would look credible. The forgers copy from originals most people will never see. Every forged document begins with someone inside opening a door that should remain locked.”
Internal audits and administrative anomalies uncovered:
- removed or substituted register pages
- layouts missing from archives but reappearing inside forged plans
- reference letters issued without corresponding entries in official logs
- authentic signatures placed on documents with non- standard formatting
- survey sheets once thought lost resurfacing in counterfeit layouts
These irregularities confirm a consistent pattern of insider support.
PILLAR TWO: THE DOCUMENT ENGINEERS
This group forms the technical workshop of the cartel. It includes quack surveyors, corrupt survey technicians, layout designers, typists, licensed surveyors acting as double agents and certain print shops known for producing illicit documents.
A forensic analyst who examined thirty- seven forged plans noted:
“Almost every document carries three fingerprints: identical print shop textures, outdated watermarks and recurring typist errors. This is a production line. Not improvisation.”
They rely on:
- old Ministry logos kept beyond official retirement
- signature templates used to fabricate Licence Surveyor approvals
- high resolution scans of stamps originally meant to exist only as physical seals
- layout sheets preserved from past decades
- authentic but outdated government fonts
The recurrence of these elements across districts and years confirms the presence of a stable document factory.
PILLAR THREE: THE POWER BROKERS
These individuals never touch a forged document. Their influence is strategic and defensive.
They provide:
- injunction protection
- political cover
- pressure on civil servants
- interference with enforcement
- access to legal intermediaries
- influence over community actors
A judicial insider explained:
“An injunction issued at the right moment can freeze the whole Ministry. When the freeze takes effect, they do not need months. Sometimes days are enough.”
Documented incidents include:
- sudden withdrawals of enforcement teams
- unexplained cancellations of police support
- cases disappearing from court listings
- disputes escalating into legal battles after forged plans were submitted
These patterns reflect deliberate obstruction, not bureaucratic accident.
NEW TESTIMONY FROM A FORMER DIRECTOR OF SURVEYS AND LANDS
A former Director, speaking anonymously, revealed how technical processes are manipulated:
“Sometimes corrupt cartel aligned officials in positions of trust push to ensure a particular transaction goes through. They recruit a quack surveyor or even a qualified licensed surveyor within their network. The surveyor measures the land. If he discovers overlaps or inconsistencies, he avoids the formal process and uses insider contacts to chart the plan privately. He identifies the problem and adjusts the coordinates to satisfy what they call instructions from above. This is not for public service. It is to protect certain interests.”
The former Director added:
“When I detected such inconsistencies, I rejected the plan and insisted on a site visit. The surveyor returned to his cartel sponsors who then exerted pressure on the Honourable Minister. After being briefed by his technical team, the Minister supported the rules and refused manipulation. This is when the attacks began. They used blackmail, misinformation and sensational headlines to make us appear incompetent and to pretend the Ministry was obstructing development.”
The former Director concluded:
“I believe the current Minister and his technical heads are unpopular because they continue to dismantle the cartel’s defences. I have heard senior officials say he treats everyone who brings a land matter to him as a suspect until proven otherwise. The President is yet to understand the full depth of this situation. It is worse than what reaches his table. Some sitting Ministers are also involved.”
This testimony aligns closely with the patterns documented in earlier instalments.
HOW THE CARTEL PROFITS: THE BUSINESS MODEL
The investigation mapped ten major cases. The method is consistent.
Stage One: Select land vulnerable to capture
Targets include:
- state land not yet demarcated
- undeveloped government reserves
- land owned by citizens with limited resources
- locations with fragmented administrative records
- areas where older layouts can be manipulated
Stage Two: Manufacture documentation
Forged documents often include:
- a fabricated survey plan
- a forged signature block
- a fabricated reference number
- a digitally copied stamp impression
- a false correspondence trail
Stage Three: Activate the document
This is done by:
- presenting it to unsuspecting buyers
- filing it as evidence in court
- using it to obtain injunctions
- presenting it to traditional authorities
- submitting it to land officers who cannot immediately detect fraud
Stage Four: Secure protection
Political and judicial intermediaries block, delay or freeze enforcement actions.
Stage Five: Rapid sale and occupation
During the freeze, the land is:
- subdivided
- fenced
- sold
- developed
Stage Six: Strategic disappearance
By the time legal actions resume, the landscape is altered and buyers have become victims.
TESTIMONIES FROM WITHIN THE SYSTEM
Ministry Staff Member:
“Some papers look official but the reference numbers do not exist. Others match files that disappeared years ago. Once an injunction is issued, we cannot act even when the documents appear false.”
Community Elder:
“They bring stamped papers, name powerful people and show photos of offices. The ordinary citizen cannot tell what is real.”
Survey Technician:
“There are professional surveyors, and there are the ones loyal to the cartel. They do not measure land. They copy old layouts, adjust them and print them. They damage the entire profession.”
THE HUMAN IMPACT: VICTIMS AND CONCERNED CITIZENS
To preserve confidentiality, all identities are fully redacted. Their accounts reveal additional layers of systemic failure.
Common experiences include:
- land resold when owners fail to develop it
- families denying past sales despite signed documents
- LS Numbers allegedly deleted and replaced by cartel aligned surveyors
- legitimate coordinates replaced with wrong systems
- unauthorised conversion of old coordinates into new ones
- judges relying on surveyors loyal to litigants rather than the technical heads of the Ministry
- concerns that the digital geo mapping register may have been compromised
One victim said:
“I was not fighting ordinary grabbers. I was fighting a network that understood the system better than I ever could.”
Another noted:
“If the digital land register has been tampered with, then those entrusted to protect the public interest have violated it.”
A third remarked:
“Up country it is even worse. Land can be seized or resold simply because prices rise or a new buyer offers more.”
These accounts deepen the investigative landscape and form part of the ongoing inquiry.
THE INTERNATIONAL COMPONENT
The investigation has uncovered early signs of an international dimension:
- foreign actors using proxies to purchase land with forged documents
- offshore companies acquiring land never legally transferred
- external speculators partnering with local networks
- legal representatives filing documents without proper verification
This trajectory indicates that the cartel’s operations may extend across borders.
RIGHT TO REPLY
All institutions and individuals referenced in connection with the documents examined in this feature have been contacted. Several have confirmed internal reviews. Others have offered no response. Verified replies will be published in the fourth and final instalment.