By Musa Paul Feika
One Mohamed Kamara and three others are standing trial at the Ross Road Magistrate’s Court No.1 in east end Freetown for the offences of store breaking and larceny which are offences contrary to the Larceny Act of 1816, with Magistrate Alhaji Sulaiman Koroma presiding.
According to the particulars of offence, Mohamed Kamara, Abubakarr Kamara and Osman Sidikie on Monday 6th April, 2020 at Calaba Town in Freetown broke and entered into the dwelling house of the complainant, Alfred Moses Kallay, and stole four computer laptops, mobile phones and certain valuables worth millions of Leones.
The indictment furthered that one Isatu Koroma on Monday 6th April, 2020 at the Texaco Lorry Park at Kissy, east end Freetown received one KV World mobile from Abubakarr Kamara, which is a stolen property of the complainant.
The police prosecution witness, Alfred Moses Kallay told the court that he recognized the accused and he could recall Monday 6th April, 2020.
The witness said on that day, he received a telephone call from one of his business partners he named as Alhaji, whom he said gave him the intelligence that thieves had broken into his shop at the Texaco Lorry Park.
Mr. Kallay said upon receiving the intelligence, he rode pillion to the crime scene and that upon his arrival, he discovered that the shop had been damaged and certain properties including mobile phones, computers, laptops, speakers and other valuable items carted away.
The witness said he went immediately to the Kissy Police Division and reported the matter to the police, adding that after reporting the incident, he and a team of detective police officers from the division went straight to the crime scene.
Mr. Kallay said photographs were taken by the Scene of Crime Officer (SOCO) were tendered in court to form part of court’s records.
The witness said on that particular day, he saw the second accused, Osman Sidikie, whom he said entered in his shop and asked for a Bluetooth charger, adding that when he inspected the charger that was in his possession, he realized that it was one of the properties that were stolen from his shop.
According to him, he told the second accused that he was the owner of the charger that was in the accused’s possession and subsequently, the witness said he led the second accused to the Kissy Police Division where he was apprehended.
The witness furthered that the second accused led them to the third accused, Abubakarr Kamara, who was also arrested and taken to the Kissy Police Division.
He said whilst they were at the Kissy Police Division, the third accused made a confessional statement to the police by telling them that he bought the speaker from the first accused, Mohamed Kamara, who was also arrested and taken to the police station.
The witness said the first accused after intense investigation told the police that he found the Bluetooth charger in front of the complainant`s shop during the first lockdown for the COVID-19 fight. The witness further testified that the matter was later transferred to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Headquarters’ Cyber Crime Unit on Pademba Road, Freetown, where he was asked by the Cyber Crime Officer to supply the I.M.E. numbers of the mobile phones that were purportedly stolen which, according to him, he did.
On 24th June 2020, the witness said he received a call from the Cyber Crime Officer that they should meet at the Kissy Police Division. He said upon his arrival at the police station, he saw the fourth accused, Isatu Koroma, who was found with one of the stolen cell phones at the police station.
The first accused was remanded at the Male Correctional Center, Pademba Road in Freetown, whilst the second, third and third accused were granted bail.
The matter was adjourned to 15th July 2020.