By Janet A. Sesay
Ibrahim Bundu, a businessman at Waterloo, on Tuesday, 13th April, 2021, made his first appearance before Magistrate Sahr Kekura of Court No.4. He was charged on two different files for the same offences.
It was alleged, by police, that the accused stole different vehicles with different registration numbers and kept them in his compound at Waterloo.
The accused was arraigned before the court on two counts of larceny and one count of unlawful possession, which are all contrary to law.
The charge sheet states that the accused, on Sunday 21st February, 2021, at Aberdeen, in Freetown, stole one maroon Toyota four runner, with registration number ATI 750, which is valued at seventy million Leones (Le70M), and one Samsung S5 mobile phone, valued at six million Leones (Le6M) all to the total value of seventy-six (Le76M). The property belongs to Michael Swaray.
The charge sheet furthered that the accused, on 2nd March, 2021, at Banana Street in Waterloo, was found with thirty-six (36) vehicle registration life cards and thirty-five (35) vehicle number plates, reasonably suspected to have been stolen.
The second file states that the accused, on Sunday 21st February, 2021, at Kissy Grass Field in Freetown, stole one Maroon RAV 4 jeep, with registration number AOX 309, valued at thirty-five (Le35M), which property belongs to Emeka Victor Ezendu.
After the charge was read to the accused, he pleaded guilty to the offence on count two, which is unlawful possession and pleaded with the magistrate to temper justice with mercy on him. He pleaded not guilty to the offence on count one, which is larceny.
Defense counsel C. Bangura made an application for bail on behalf of the accused on counts one and three, as he has already pleaded guilty on count two and awaiting sentencing.
The accused was denied bail by the magistrate, and the matter was adjourned to the 15th April 2021 for sentencing.