By Foday Moriba Conteh
Businessman, Jihad Swaid, has issued a strong public statement denying allegations linking him and his son, Hady Swaid, to a purported fraudulent gold transaction involving Dr. Aruna Sree Sana and George Slim Ganda of Est. Miners Co. SL Ltd. The statement, dated 27th October 2025, categorically dismissed the claims circulating on social media as “entirely unfounded” and “misleading.”
In his clarification, Jihad Swaid emphasized that neither he nor his son were parties to the contract between Dr. Aruna Sree Sana and George Slim Ganda, nor did they receive any money from either party. He explained that Dr. Aruna Sree Sana had approached his son, a university student on holiday in Sierra Leone, for assistance in purchasing gold and offered him a 20% share of anticipated profit in a formal written agreement with George Slim Ganda.
According to Jihad Swaid, his son only served as a witness to the transaction and later extended a personal loan of $18,000 to Dr. Aruna Sree Sana to help her fulfill payment obligations. The loan, he said, was documented with Dr. Aruna Sree Sana’s written promise to repay within two weeks; a commitment that remains unfulfilled.
“All payments from Dr. Aruna Sree Sana were made directly to Mr. Ganda as stipulated in their agreement. Neither I nor my son received any portion of those funds,” Jihad Swaid stated. He further clarified that none of them acted as guarantors nor had any prior personal relationship with George Slim Ganda.
In May 2025, Dr. Aruna Sree Sana, through her legal representative, allegedly repeated what Jihad Swaid described as “baseless allegations” and also filed a report with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). Jihad Swaid said he formally responded through his solicitors and filed a statement denying any involvement in fraudulent activity or conspiracy.
Jihad Swaid contends that Dr. Dr. Aruna Sree Sana’s repeated claims form part of an attempt to extort further money from his son, referencing a recent “threatening text message” she allegedly sent, which he said he chose to ignore.
While expressing sympathy for Dr. Aruna Sree Sana’s business losses, Jihad Swaid maintained that her financial dispute with George Slim Ganda is entirely private and unrelated to his family. He noted that although they have refrained from legal action over the unpaid loan, they reserve the right to pursue full repayment and damages if defamatory claims persist.
“I urge the public to disregard any misleading or defamatory statements concerning myself, my family or my business operations,” he concluded, reaffirming his commitment to fairness and compliance in all business dealings in Sierra Leone.
For media inquiries, Jihad Swaid directed all correspondence to his legal representatives, Marrah & Associates, 2nd Floor, 35 Jones Street, Freetown.
