By Musa Paul Feika
One Abdul Aziz Sesay is standing trial at the Ross Road Magistrate Court No. 1, which is presided over by Magistrate Alhaji Suliaman Koroma, for allegedly stealing a Mercedes Benz vehicle with registration No. AMJ 175 valued at ninety four million Leones (Le94,000,000), which property belongs to the complainant, Pa Alpha Turay.
The police prosecution witness, Mayamariatu Turay, also resident of Waterloo, in the Western Area Rural District (WARD), outside Freetown, in her testimony, told the court that she recognized the accused as a driver as well as the complainant and could recall diverse dates between the 21st March, 2019 and the 31st March, 2019.
Madam Turay continued her evidence stating that, on the 13th June 2019, she recommended the accused to the complainant and at the same time talked to him to give his vehicle to the accused on commercial basis.
According to the witness, on the 9th November, 2019, the complainant handed over the Mercedes Benz on the basis that the accused should be paying the complainant two hundred and fifty thousand Leones (Le250, 000) for a week.
“Within two weeks, I received a telephone call from the complainant telling me that the accused had not been coming to him or paying money to him,” the witness detailed the court.
Madam Turay recounted that the accused had been on the run since then. The complainant however reported the matter to the Texaco Police Post in Freetown.
She concluded her testimony informing that herself and the complainant went in search of the accused who was eventually apprehended at Jui Junction, outside Freetown, where the vehicle was parked, and taken to the Texaco Police Post for investigation.
The accused was not represented, but, in his cross examination, he told the court that he did not know the witness. He further asked Madam Turay whether she knew the whereabouts of the vehicle in question. In reply, Madam Turay answered in the negative.
According to the police charge sheet, Abdul Aziz Sesay, on diverse dates between 21st March 2019 and 31st March, 2019, at No. 4 Cemetery Road, Wellington in Freetown, stole one Mercedes Benz belonging to the complainant.
Bail of the accused remains in force and the matter was adjourned to 27th November, 2020.