By Janet Sesay
Qui Liang Bin, Zhou Xian Cum, Wu Zhi Rui and Ibrahim Abu-Bakarr Luvian Sesay yesterday made first their appearance before Magistrate Santigie Bangura of the Freetown Magistrate Court No.1 for defrauding the Government of Sierra Leone by using an unauthorized public telecommunication network at their house in Brookfields.
The accused were arraigned before the court on two counts of conspiracy to defraud, contrary to law and unauthorized public telecommunications network, which is also contrary to section 70(1) of the National Telecommunication Act of 2006.
Court details state that the accused, on Saturday 17th November 2018 at No. 38G Cantonment Road, Brookfield’s in Freetown, conspired together with other persons unknown with intent to defraud the Government of Sierra Leone by establishing, maintaining and operating an unauthorized public telecommunications network without lawful authority.
After the charges were read to the accused no plea was taken, so the state prosecutor, J.M.S. Bull, told the court that she has just received the file and so she was seeking for an adjournment.
Lead defense counsel, Mohammed Sahid Bangura, said they have reliable sureties to stand on their behalf and the passport and document of the accused are in the custody of the police. Because of this, he said, they will not pose a flight risk.
But the state prosecutor objected to bail on the grounds that the offence, for which the accused had been charged, is a very serious one. It involves conspiracy to defraud the state, which means that if the accused are granted bail they will interfere with their witnesses.
During a search at the premises of the accused, sixty-two sim boxes, sim box holders, seven laptop computers, 474 mobile phones, quantities of iphone chargers, wireless routers, assorted communication cables, one Dell Monitor and CPU, assorted documents and one green Range Rover Evaquee TD4 with Ghanaian registration number GE 7522-2GH were found.
Before adjourning the matter, Magistrate Bangura said he had listened to the application made by defense counsel and the reply by the prosecution. He said that he agreed with the prosecution when it indicated that the accused are foreigners and they will be very difficult to get to appear in court. He said the offence is very serious and the interest of the state should be protected.
The accused were denied bail by Magistrate Santigie Bangura and the matter was adjourned to the 17th December 2018.