By: Hafsatu Z Bangura
Magistrate Isata Sellu Tucker of the Pademba Road Court No.2 on Wednesday 24th August 2022 has remanded a house help Morrison Kabba at the Male Correctional Centre at Pademba Road in Freetown for allegedly stealing two thousand eight hundred United States dollars (2800 USD) and fifty thousand Leones (Le50,000)belonging to Wilifed Lightfoot Taylor.
The accused appeared before the court on one count of larceny from person contrary to the laws of Sierra Leone.
It was alleged by the police that the accused, on July 12, 2022 in Freetown stole Le50, 000 including two thousand Eight hundred United States dollars belonging to the complainant.
Led in evidence by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Hawa Bah, first prosecution witness (PW)1, Wilifred Lightfoot Taylor, told the court that she recognized the accused through her landlady, whose name was not mentioned, and could recall July 12,2022.
Madam Taylor said on that day, she sold two vehicles, adding one of the vehicles a Toyota valued at six thousand United States dollars (6000USD).
The witness said out of the six thousand United States dollars she paid her OSUSU and she kept the remaining money in her bedroom.
She said she and the accused had a phone conversation as when he the accused would start working for her.
On Monday, she went on that the accused came to work, emphasizing that only her and the accused knew where the said amount was.
‘My Lady, when I wanted to go to the bank to deposit the said amount, it was nowhere to be found,’ she told the bench.
PW1 recounted being that it was her landlady, who recommended the accused to her, she contacted her and explained exactly what had transpired between her and the accused.
‘Initially, I called on phone, but he said to me that he was somewhere,’ she said.
She continued that, when the accused came for work, she and her landlady contacted the nearby police station, who visited the crime scene and interrogated the accused in respect of the stolen money, but denied the allegation.
The witness furthered that the accused was taken to the police for question, noting that at the police station, the accused told the police officers to return to the crime scene for him to search for the money, which they did.
But the money was nowhere to be found. This prompted her to report the matter to the police, on the same day, a search was conduct at the accused’s premises, and during the search certain amount was discovered.
During cross examination by Defense Counsel, M. Baratay put it to the witness that on the day of the incident, the accused was not scheduled to work, which she responded in the affirmative.
Lawyer Baratay asked the witness if apart from the accused other people could pay her a visit, which she answered “yes.”
He challenged that when the search was conducted at the accused’s premises by police officers; she never saw the alleged stolen money.
Responding, the witness said yes, emphasizing that on Monday, the accused went home quietly.
The accused is still on bail and the matter was adjourned to September 8, 2022.
