By: Audrey Raymonda John
A driver, Mohamed Sesay, has made another appearance before Magistrate John Manso Fornah at the Pademba Road Court No. 2 on two-count charges of conspiracy to commit a crime, contrary to law, and larceny, contrary to Section 2 of the Larceny Act of 1916.
According to the particulars of the offence, between Saturday 28 June and Sunday 29 June 2025, at Masiaka Town, Koya Chiefdom, in the Port Loko Judicial District, North-West Region of the Republic of Sierra Leone, the accused conspired with other persons unknown to commit the crime of larceny.
The charge sheet further states that on the same date and at the same place, the accused stole one hundred and fifty-six (156) used Champion LED solar panel batteries, each valued at two hundred and forty-nine United States dollars and nineteen cents (US$249.19), equivalent to Five Thousand Nine Hundred and Eighty Leones Fifty-Six Cents (NLe 5,980.56). The total value of the items was Thirty-Eight Thousand Eight Hundred and Seventy-Three United States Dollars and Sixty-Four Cents (US$38,873.64), equivalent to Nine Hundred and Thirty-Two Thousand Nine Hundred and Sixty-Seven Leones Thirty-Six Cents (NLe 932,967.36), property of Rowen Leone Company.
When the charges were read and explained to the accused, he pleaded not guilty to both counts.
The prosecution, led by Deputy Superintendent of Police Sorie Conteh, called its sixth witness, Alie Lucy, a mechanic, who testified that he recognised the accused as a driver. He recalled that on 28 and 29 June 2025, he was at Congo Water Garage when the accused called him to say that he had been arrested at Mile 38 with solar batteries in the vehicle.
The witness told the court that he is the owner of the vehicle involved, a blue-and-black 814 TILOR truck. He produced the vehicle documents, which were tendered and marked as Exhibit G, along with a photocopy marked as Exhibit G1. He also produced a copy of his driver’s licence, which was tendered and marked as Exhibit H.
Alie Lucy further stated that he could identify the vehicle if he saw it and identified Exhibit AA1, bearing the inscription “Good Time Is the Best,” as the vehicle in question.
The witness was cross-examined by defence counsel, S. Kamara, who also renewed his previous bail application.
In her ruling, Magistrate Fornah stated that having heard the submissions of the prosecution and noting that the witness had sufficiently proved ownership of the vehicle, the court granted the application for the release of the vehicle. She ordered that the vehicle be restored to the witness, Alie Lucy, with immediate effect.
The matter was adjourned to 14 January 2026 for further proceedings.