By Musa Paul Feika
Mohamed Koroma and eight others are standing trial at the Ross Road Magistrate Court No. 1, which is presided over by Magistrate Wilbri Hamida Moira John, for maliciously damaging a vehicle, whose registration number is AOP 272. The said vehicle belongs to Alhaji Abu Kamara (the complainant).
Testifying in court, PW 1, Alhaji Abu Kamara, told the court that he recognized all the eight accused and could recall 2nd November, 2020.
According to him, on that day, himself and two passengers were on board his vehicle, which he later parked at Jui Roundabout, waiting for other passengers. He said he saw the 2nd accused, Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, who was on a motorbike, arriving at the scene. He said Mohamed B. Jalloh asked him to take away his mother from the road rather than asking him to remove the vehicle.
In reply, Mr. Kamara asked the 2nd accused why he was abusing his mother. In response, the accused told him that a taxi had killed an okada rider at Grafton. According to him, the 2nd accused vowed to damage any taxi he came across that day.
The witness recounted that the 2nd accused took a stone and broke his windshield, which is valued at seven hundred thousand Leones (Le700,000). The witness detailed the court that the issue resulted into a serious fight between the accused and his men, adding that, during the course of the fight, he grabbed the 2nd accused and took him to the Jui Police Station and handed him over to the police.
The witness said, during the fighting, he discovered that the accused had carted away his Techno Spark 3 mobile phone, which is valued at seven hundred and fifty thousand Leones ((Le750,000) and cash of three hundred thousand Leones (Le300,000), all totaling one million, three hundred thousand Leones (Le1,300,000).
The witness concluded his evidence, informing that he made a statement to the police.
The accused are arraigned before the court on nine counts charges of malicious damage, throwing missiles, riotous conduct and other related offences, which are all contrary to the laws of Sierra Leone.
The police say Mohamed Koroma and eight others, on the 2nd November, 2020, at Jui Roundabout, maliciously damaged the windshield of the complainant’s vehicle, which is valued at seven hundred thousand Leones.
The charge sheet further adduces that Mohamed Koroma and eight others, on the same date and address, stole certain valuable properties, worth millions of Leones, from Alhaji Abu Kamara.
The accused were granted thirty million Leones (Le30,000,000) bail with two sureties, which bail condition should be approved by the deputy Master and Registrar.
Since the 1st accused could not meet the bail conditions, he was sent on remand at the Male Correctional Centre, Pademba Road in Freetown. The matter will come up again on the 28th April, 2021.