By: Audrey Raymonda John
Magistrate Sahr Kekura of Ross Road Court intimated to the head of prosecution at the Ross Road Court No. 1 Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Osman M. Bangura that the investigator who investigated the matter involving Mohamed Jalloh alias Star as poor investigation.
This is because during the investigation, the accused Mohamed Jalloh admitted that the stolen properties in question were sold to an Indian national, but the police Investigator failed to charge the Indian national to court. Magistrate Kekura said that was bad investigation as the police ought to have charge both the accused and the Indian national, but the police failed to do so.
In addendum, the complainant, Mohamed Tamba Kargbo during his evidence in chief confessed to court that the accused told them that he has sold the stolen properties to the Indian national. But he said when he and the team of police officers went to the Indian national’s residence to conduct a search, the police officers asked to wait for them outside and that was the end of the search.
Prosecution witness (PW) 2, a driver, Mohamed Koroma residing in Calaba Town in Freetown told the court that he recognized the accused and could on Monday 12th June 2023.
He said on the day in question, he was at the Sierra Leone Produce Monitoring Board (SLPMB) Junction in Wellington, Freetown by 5 am; he saw the accused coming from the direction of the complainant’s shop with a big bag.
Koroma said when he called the accused Star boy, he ran away, adding that prompted them to go to the complainant’s shop and discovered that the shop was damaged.
PW2 said on the following morning, he gave information to the complainant about the accused, adding that he and the complainant left for the accused’s residence at Maxwell Street in Freetown, where the accused was subsequently arrested and convened to the Wellington Police Post in Freetown.
He said at the post the police interrogated the accused, admitted of stealing the goods and allegedly sold them to the Indian national.
The witness concluded his evidence that he made a statement to the police at the aforesaid police post in Wellington, Freetown.
Mohamed Jalloh 24yrs old was arrested on 21st June 2023 by Detective Police Constable 18138 Kargbo L and was arraigned before Magistrate Sahr Kekura on two counts charges of store breaking and malicious damage contrary to law.
It was alleged by the police that the accused, on Monday 12th June 2023 maliciously damage the aforesaid properties