By Janet A Sesay
Mohamed Allieu Jalloh, Alie Kamara, Musa Turay and Sorie Sesay made their first appearance before Magistrate Mustapha Braima Jah at Pademba Road Court No. 1 in Freetown for an alleged theft case, except for the contractor Ernest Allieu, for whom a bench warrant was issued after he failed to appear in court.
The defendants were arrested and charged with three counts ranging from conspiracy, larceny, and receiving stolen property.
The accused persons were charged alongside forty-nine-year-old Ernest Allieu, a contractor, who was absent from court.
The charges include conspiracy contrary to law, larceny contrary to Section 2 of the Larceny Act 1916, and receiving stolen property contrary to Section 33 (1)(b) of the Larceny Act 1916.
According to the particulars of offence, between Tuesday 11th July and 16th September 2025, at Queen Elizabeth Road, Kissy Dockyard in the Western Area of Freetown, the accused persons allegedly conspired with other persons unknown to commit a felony, namely larceny.
The prosecution further alleged that on the same date and place, the defendants stole one low-bed trailer with registration number AVT 807, valued at one hundred and five thousand United States dollars (US$105,000), equivalent to two million four hundred and eighteen thousand and forty-four Leones (Le2,418,044), property of the Freetown City Council (FCC).
Count three further alleged that the fifth defendant, Ernest Allieu, received the said low-bed trailer knowing it to be stolen.
However, the charges were not read and explained to the accused persons because the fifth defendant was absent in court.
Defense counsel S. M. Fomba Esq., representing the first defendant, together with C. Kamara Esq. and M. Bangura Esq., representing the second, third, and fourth defendants, made an application for the release of the accused persons into their custody.
They argued that since the charges had not yet been put to the accused persons, they were unable to make a formal bail application for the court to determine whether bail should be granted. On that basis, they requested that the defendants be released into their care.
In his ruling, Magistrate Mustapha Braima Jah stated that the fact that the charges had not yet been put to all the defendants would not determine the application before the court. He emphasized that the matter before the court is a criminal case, and that the court still retains jurisdiction over the defendants.
Magistrate Jah therefore ordered a bench warrant for the arrest of the fifth defendant, Ernest Allieu, and adjourned the matter to 16th March 2026 for further hearing.