By Musa Paul Feika
The Acting Bursar of Hammond International Preparatory School, situated at the Kissy Bypass Road in Freetown, Ibrahim Massaquoi, yesterday, during his testimony before Magistrate Alhaji Suliaman Koroma, of Ross Road Magistrate Court No.1, told the court that the accused, Bobson Frederick Amara, who is currently a lecturer at Milton Margai College of Education and Technology (MMCET), had been extorting monies from parents on behalf of their children unknown to the school administration.
Mr. Massaquoi continued his evidence stating that he recognized the accused as the Acting Principal of Hammond International Preparatory School at Kissy Bypass Road in Freetown and could recall the diverse dates between 1st September 2019 and 26th January 2020.
According to him, all school fees are to be paid into the school bank account by parents. He stated that the school normally conducts its first term examination in December every year.
Mr. Massaquoi said, before the exam commenced, he usually conducts an investigation in connection to school fees in order to know who had paid their fees. The witness detailed the court that, after he conducted the investigation regarding the school fees, he discovered that forty two million Leones (Le 42,000,000) have been paid to the accused, Bobson Frederick Amara, by then the Acting Principal of the Hammond International Preparatory School. The added the monies were not reflected in the school’s bank account.
Mr. Massaquoi produced and tendered the report of his investigation or findings, marked as exhibit G1-10.
During the cross examination, by the defence counsel, I.S.Y. Kamara, he asked the witness whether his client was charged with the responsibility of collecting school fees from parents. In reply, the witness said yes.
Lawyer Kamara put it to the witness that he never saw the accused collecting monies from parents on behalf of their children. The witness replied in the affirmative.
The accused is standing trial on several counts charges of embezzlement and fraudulent conversion and other related offences, which are all contrary to the laws of Sierra Leone.
According to the police charge sheet, Bobson Frederick Amara, on diverse dates between 1st September 20219 and 26th January 2020, embezzled forty two million Leones (Le42, 000,000) from certain parents as a school fees for their children, knowing the same to be false.
Bail of the accused remains in force and the matter was adjourned to 7th October, 2020.