By Janet A. Sesay
Captain Mustapha Rashid has on Thursday 15th July, 2021 testified before Magistrate Mark Ngegba of Court No.2 against Anthony Kamara, who he alleged failed to return his music set he’d rented to play for a business entity. The accused was charged with a count of Fraudulent Conversion contrary to the laws of Sierra Leone.
The charge sheet stated that the accused, sometime in November 2020 at Wilberforce Barracks, fraudulently converted to his own use and benefit one amplifier valued at Le3,220,000, an amplifier mixer valued at Le1,384,000, a stabiliser valued at Le320,000, a set of microphones valued at Le390,000 and other properties totalling Le5,979,000, entrusted to him by Rashid Daboh while in the custody of Mustapha Alfred Daboh.
In his testimony, the Captain recognised the accused and recalled November 2020. He said while he was at work in the morning hours that day, he received a call from his son (Mustapha) that the accused wanted to rent the set, and through the telephone conversion he told the accused to return the set at 10pm, to which the accused agreed.
He said when he returned home after work, he did not see the accused, neither the set. The following day, he sent his son to check at the accused’s house, but he could not be located.
Captain Rashid said he waited for a month but still did not hear anything from the accused neither did he set eyes on his set, for which he went to the Wilberforce Police Post and made a report.
The witness said he and the police officers went in search of the accused for close to nine months, but he was nowhere to be found.
He said at some point he’d sent his son to Waterloo for a different reason, and there his son saw the accused and reported him to the Waterloo Police Station. The accused was immediately arrested and brought to the Wilberforce Police Post, where he made a statement to the police.
The witness was cross examined by the accused, who was unrepresented in court. The accused was denied bail by Magistrate Ngegba and the matter will come up on 23rd July, 2021.