By: Audrey John
Ming Tong Chang a Chinese national and Finance Officer at Wongor mining group has on Thursday 18 August 2022 testified before magistrate Mark Ngegba of Pademba road court No1 over an alleged gold robbery involving two accused persons.
The accused persons Amadu Bello Mohamed Thailey aka bomb micnt, Augustine Korfuma aka councilor, Boibe Gibnia Conteh and Daniel Somuta aka one man geng were arraigned in court on four counts charges ranging from conspiracy to commit a felony contrary to law, robbery with aggravation, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and caring offensive weapon without lawful authority and reasonable excuse all contrary to the laws of Sierra Leone.
The particularlers for counts one states that all the accused on Friday 1st July 2022 at Wongor mining international cooperation, Sierra Leone limited kumoroh village, in the Nimikoro chiefdom Kono District conspired together with other persons unknown to commit a felony to wit robbery with aggravation.
Counts two states that the accused persons on the same date and place being armed with cutlass and scissors, robbed Ruiping Chen a Chinese national a black bag containing four thousand, four hundred and ninety eight point five four grams concentrate of gold substance valued $38,000 USD equivalent to (NLe, 522,500/00) and at the same time of or immediately before or immediately after the said robbery, did use personal violence to the said Ruiping Chen.
The police further alleged on counts three that the accused person Daniel Samura aka one man geng on the same date and place assaulted Ruiping Chen in a manner thereby occasioning him actual bodily harm.
Whiles counts four added that the accused Daniel Samura on the same date carry offensive weapon in a public place to wit cutlass and a scissors without lawful authority or reasonable excuse.
The witness led in evidence by ASP I S Mansaray Ming Tong identified the four accused persons three of them as workers of the company and the fourth as a stranger who was caught at the processing plant during the day of the robbery incident.
He further recalled Friday 1st July 2022 when the alleged robbery occurred at the site.
He narrated that on that day around 10 am Mr. Cheng called him, and he drove AML 342 to respond to the call, adding that upon arrival, he honked the horn of the vehicle only to see 2 men, one armed with a pistol and the other with a knife.
He said he was grabbed by the neck and threatened his life so he threw the phone to the rare seat of the vehicle. The armed men scolded him and took the bag he was holding containing gold. But he wouldn’t tell the exact value. Apart from those 2 men, the witness said he saw the company’s security personnel who are the first accused doing nothing as the men ran away with the bag of gold. Immediately, he used a communication set to relay message to the other security personnel who went on a chase.
He added that at about 15 minutes after their return to the residential quarters leaving the security chase, the 4th accused was captured and was brought to the conference room and he was able to identify him, adding that the others were later arrested.
The witness said he later made statement at the Mortema police station.
During cross examination by lawyer Jengo for the accused persons, questioned the witness that he did not tell the police the exact scene of the incident, but the witness said that was the reason he was called at the police station.
He was asked to identify the statements he made to the police; the witness confirmed the signature was his.
He was further asked whether it was the same day of the incident the statement was obtained, the witness said no and cannot remember the exact date. He said the statement he made to the police was based on questions he was asked by the officer.
You didn’t tell the police that security personnel were present at the scene of crime asked Mr. Jengo.
“Yes, at the time of obtaining statement, they didn’t ask about that” the witness responded.
“When you said the 4th was arrested on the day of the incident, you did not say the true” put by Lawyer Jengo to the witness. But the witness affirmed that it was the very day of the incident.
Jengo: “Will you be shocked to know the PW1 had said he was the only person present at the scene and attacked by just one person”
the witness said he would be surprised because at the scene of the incident, he saw 2 people.
Lawyer Jengo further question the witness if he will be surprised to also know that till date, the PW1 said the robber has still not been found?”
The witness said he was not in charge of investigation because the people he saw during the robbery wore face mask.
The witness also told the court that the complainant is one of his boss.
At this stage, lawyer Jengo adopted his previous application for bail on behalf of the accused persons.
Police prosecutor ASP I S Mansaray in reply objected to the application for bail.
Magistrate Ngegba however refused bail due to the serious nature of the offenses charge and the matter was adjourned to 23 August 2022 for further hearing.
