By Hassanatu I. Conteh
35 years old John Kargbo, a driver, and 29 years old Mohamed Koroma, an apprentice, made their first appearance before Magistrate Sahr Kekura of Pademba Road Court No.1 in Freetown on two count charges, to wit, conspiracy contrary to law and larceny contrary to Section 2 of the Larceny Act, 1916.
According to the particulars of offence, on Saturday, 17th February, 2024, at 151 Black Hall Road, Kissy, Western Area of Freetown, conspired with an unknown person and stole therein one Vivo mobile phone V29 lit 5G with IMEI number 860315069928 / 86031506928480, external hard drive, V.W fuel pump, one long car air conditioner gas, power bank and other assorted items equivalent to NLe214,548 (two hundred and fourteen thousand five hundred and forty-eight leones), property of Ivan Kenneth Togoe. When the charges were read and explained to the accused person, they pleaded not guilty.
Inspector Kadie M. Taylor led prosecution witness no.1, Ivan Kenneth Togoe, the executive assistant at Leoneoil Company, who said he knew the accused persons in this matter.
The witness recalled that on 17th February 2024, around 4:10 am, he was around 151 Black Hall Road, and his car was parked at the above address. He heard his car alarm going off, and he noticed that something was wrong because it was not normal for the alarm to go off.
The witness continued that he then went to the car, open it with the remote and close it again; that was when he realised that the back left side of the windows had been smashed, and the door was broken.
He then proceeded to check and found out that his black bag and other items were gone. According to the witness, the NLe8,000 (eight thousand leones) and $300 (three hundred United States dollars), a power bank, a Vivo V29 light cell phone, three solar batteries, with other assorted items equivalent NLe214,548 were missing.
He then went home to collect the phone box and went to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) headquarters in Pademba Road together with his car to make a report. The officer in charge took pictures of the vehicle.
The witness stated that sometime in June this year, he was called by the officer to identify his phone, which he did. The officer showed him the accused persons. The witness concluded that after some days the police officers went to the house of the first accused person, but nothing of police interest was found, and the mobile phone that was retrieved from the accused persons is with the police officer. He said he later made a statement to the police.
The defence counsel sought for an adjournment date to cross examine the witness. He applied for bail for and on behalf of the first accused person that he is a Sierra Leonean resident within this jurisdiction, that he has reliable sureties, and that he will not interfere with prosecution witness or witnesses, neither will he jump bail. He made his application pursuant to Section 79 (2) of the Criminal Procedure Act No.32 of 1965.
Magistrate Kekura refused bail and sent the accused person to the male correctional facility in Freetown. The matter was adjourned to 17th July, 2024.