By: Audrey Raymonda John
The first prosecution witness (PW1) David Carew led in evidence by ASP Ibrahim S Mansaray said he is an accountant for Freetown Nominees limited and also the owner of Leonco Filling Stations.
He recognized the accused as the manager of Leonco filling station, Lumley branch.
According to him, the accused duties is to reconcile the sales of pump attendance, summaries the sale from each of the 12 pump attendance, secure the cash and pay the case over to the VISTA bank.
The witness further recalled on diverse date between Thursday 20 April 2023 and Monday 24 April 2023.
He said his duties are to check the everyday sales statistic with the manager against cash collected and deposit at the bank.
During the check, he said he notice two things first was that the amount collected was not paid into the bank, second was that part of the sales including sales by orange money was not there.
Upon that discovery, he said he reported the matter to the Lumley police station.
The witness in conclusion said he has documents to the effect as to his findings.
At this juncture, the prosecutor ASP Ibrahim Mansaray requested for an adjournment to bring the said documents.
However, the accused Refus Musa Jarteh Mamara manager Leonco Filling Station Lumley on Thursday 21st September 2023, sent to jailed by magistrate Mark Ngegba of Court No1 for allegedly embezzling NLe 314, 825 from Leonco Filling Station beach road Lumley.
The accused made his first appearance in court and was charge with one count of Embezzlement contrary to section 17(1) b of the larceny Act 1916.
According to the police, the accused on a date unknown between Thursday 20 April and Monday 24 April 2023, at Leonco Filling Station No 2 Beach Road, Lumley Freetown fraudulently embezzled the sum of three hundred and fourteen thousand, eight hundred and twenty five new Leones and fifty cent (NLE 314, 825, 50) received by him from various pump attendance at the said filling station for the purpose of depositing same at the VISTA bank account of David Carew owner of the said filling station.
When the charge was read and explained to the accused, no plea was taken.
Defense lawyer Augustine Alie applied for bail on behalf of the accused pursuant to section 79 sub section 2 of the criminal procedure Act 1965, nothing that he is presume innocent until proven guilty. He added that the accused has been cooperative with the institution and the police since the inception of the matter and will not in any way jump bail.
The prosecutor in reply vehemently opposed to bail on the grounds that the amount involved is huge.
Magistrate Ngegba refused bail on the grounds that he wants to hear the complete evidence of PW1.
The matter was adjourned to Monday 25th September 2023 for continuation of the evidence.