By Janet Sesay
Magistrate Hannah Bonnie of Pademba Road Court No.1 yesterday restricted the bail of Abu Sesay and Ishmael Kanu and they were remanded at the Correctional Centre in Freetown.
They were alleged by police that they converted to their own use and benefit three hundred million Leones (Le 300,000,000) entrusted to them by Ahmed for the purpose of buying a land and also to build a house for him.
Abdulai Simbo Kamara, student at the Milton Margai College recognized the accused persons as friends to his brother (Ahmed) who resides in the USA and recalled 1st April 2018 to 31st July 2019.
He said on 31st July 2019, his brother called him and gave him information about the transaction he did with the accused persons concerning buying of land and building a house and asked him to investigate if the said transaction went through.
The witness said he then asked both accused persons and the second accused (Ishmael Kanu) showed him a picture of a three storey building in his phone and told him that, the house belongs to his brother and told him that the house is located at Robangba.
He said he then asked the second accused person to take him to the place where the land and house is located but he refused and he later reported the matter at the Criminal Investigation Department Headquarters in Freetown.
The witness furthered that himself, accused persons and some CID officers went to Robangba for them to see the house and the land but they did not see any land or house.
The accused persons also took them to Hastings Village to another land which they later came to learn that the land belongs to one police officer.
The witness said upon their return to the C.I.D Head Quarters, he made statements to the police.
The accused persons were arraigned on one two counts of conspiracy and fraudulent conversion, contrary to the laws of Sierra Leone.
The particulars of offence indicated that the accused from 1st April 2018 to 31st July 2019 in Freetown, fraudulently converted to their own use thirty thousand United States Dollars ($30,000), equivalent to three hundred million Leones (Le 300,000,000) entrusted to them by the complainant (Ahmed) for the purpose of construction.
After listening to the evidence given by the witness, Magistrate Hannah Bonnie restricted the bail of both accused persons and the matter adjourned to 12th December, 2019.