By Musa Paul Feika
Moses Kamara made his third appearance before Magistrate Mark Ngegba of the Pademba Road court no.2 for allegedly breaking and entering into Osman Tawarally’s house and stealing properties, including a laptop, an iPad and military uniforms, worth millions of leones on October 1, 2021, at the Wilberforce military barracks in Freetown.
Led in evidence by Sub-Inspector A.T. Bangura, the prosecution’s formal witness, Detective Sergeant 10601 John Ansumana attached to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) at the Hill Top Police Station, Mountain Rural District in Freetown, told the court that he recognised the accused and could recall October 1, 2021.
On that fateful day, the witness said he was on duty at the aforesaid police station when the complainant reported a case of housebreaking and larceny. He furthered that the matter was assigned to him for further investigations, after which he visited the crime scene. Upon his arrival, he said he discovered that the mainsheet structure of the complainant’s was damaged, which he took photographs of.
Mr Ansumana noted that he obtained statements from the complainant and his witnesses, adding that on October 3, 2021, the accused was arrested and brought to the station with some of the exhibits or alleged stolen properties in his possession.
The witness detailed the court that he and Detective Sergeant 5792 Abdul Dumbuya revisited the crime scene with the alleged stolen items that were found in the accused’s possession and the complainant identified them as his. He said on the same date, he obtained voluntary caution statement from the accused and at the end of the statement, the accused admitted it to be true and correct by affixing his right thumbprint, which was witnessed by Detective Sergeant 5792 Dumbuya A. The accused’s voluntary caution statement was produced and tendered to form part of the court’s record.
On October 7, 2021, he said he conducted a search at the accused’s premises but nothing of police interest was discovered. The witness said on October 7, he charged the accused with housebreaking and larceny, which are all contrary to the laws of Sierra Leone.
The police allege that Moses Kamara on October 1, 2021 at Wilberforce Barracks in Freetown, broke and entered into Osman Tawarally’s home and stole a laptop valued at one million, five hundred thousand leones (Le1,500,000), a damaged mobile phone, an iPad and other properties worth millions of leones.
The accused is still on bail and the matter was adjourned to March 14, 2022.