January 13, 2022
By: Hafsatu Z Bangura
Mohamed Ramez Koroma made his first appearance before Justice Sulaiman Bah of the high court no 1 in Freetown on 2 count charges of Larceny contrary to section 2 of the Larceny Act of 1916 and fraudulent conversion contrary to section 20 (1) (1V) (a) of the Larceny Act of 1916.
The charges were read to the accused by the Registrar of which the accused pleaded not guilty of all charges been read to him.
According to the particulars of offence the accused Ramez Koroma on a date between the 1st June 2016 and 31st June 2016 at Freetown in the Western Area of the Republic of Sierra Leone stole one Ford Expedition V8 with vehicle registration number AMQ 501 valued Twenty thousand United States dollars ($20,000) property of Patrick Sovie.
And on count 2 the particulars of offence states that Mohamed Ramez Koroma on a date between the 1st June and 31st June at Freetown in the Western Area of the Republic of Sierra Leone fraudulently converted to his own use or benefit certain property that is to say Nineteen Million Leone’s (19,000,000/00) entrusted to him by Patrick Sovie in order that the accused Ramez Koroma might use it for the purpose of buying vehicle parts.
State counsel F Kamara made an application for the accused to be tried by a judge alone instead of a jury.
The judge Justice Sulaiman Bah granted the application made by State counsel.
Defense Counsel for the accused C.I. Williams applied for bail for the accused Ramez Koroma by making plea mitigation for the accused to be granted bail.
Defense counsel in his plea mitigation said the accused is a citizen of Sierra Leone and that the accused has responsible sureties, that he is a family man living within the jurisdiction of the court.
Bail application was granted by the judge of which bail conditions were outlined that the accused must produce two sureties and that each sureties must produce a valid identity card to show that sureties are residents of Freetown and must bail must be approved by the Master and Registrar.
The accused was granted bail in the sum of 250million Leone’s or sureties in like sum and that sureties must tender properties of the said sum.
State counsel F Kamara opposed to the bail application made by defense counsel C.I. Williams but Justice Sulaiman Bah said state counsel in opposing to the bail application must produce an affidavit to support the objection and that the application must show reasons why the accused should not be granted bail.
Defense counsel was ordered by Justice Sulaiman Bah to do the citation of bail regulations in court.
The accused person was represented by C.I Williams whilst the state was represented by F Kamara.