July 9, 2021
By: Francis F.M.Harding
Six accused persons Mabinty Kamara, Aminata Turay, Suliaman Alhaji Barrie, Thomas Larrie, Mohamed Marah and Hassan E. Kamara from the Makeni City has appeared before Magistrate Mark Ngegba of Court No.2 at Pademba Road in Freetown on the 8th July, 2021 in a matter involving the dishonest abstraction electricity supply contrary to section 68 of the National Electricity Act of 2011.
After the clerk has read the charge, all accused persons denied the charges against them.
According to police charge sheets, the accused persons are charge with one count. It is alleged in count one that the accused persons on diverse dates between the 25th June, 2021 and 27th June, 2021 at Makeni in the Northern judicial district of Sierra Leone engaged in dishonest abstraction of electricity.
The State Prosecutor Inspector Bah H. asked for short date as the witness travels to Bo. The lead defense Lawyer A. Sheriff made an application for all accused persons pursuant to section 79 sub-sections 3 of the Criminal Procedure Act of 1965.
Prosecutor Bah objected to the bail application and she told the bench that she will come with three witnesses for speedy trial on the next adjourned date.
The lead defense Lawyer A. Sheriff made an application for bail for all accused persons pursuant to section 79 sub-sections 2 of the Criminal Procedure Act of 1965. Inspector Bah objected to the application for bail and said that she will come with three witnesses in the next adjourned date. At this juncture, Magistrate Mark Ngegba said that he will not give bail to the accused persons for three reasons.
He said firstly, the accused persons are not resident in his jurisdiction; secondly, he needs to hear the evidence from the witnesses before he will consider bail and lastly, that the defense counsel do not produce any medical report to show that the first accused person is ill.
Inspector H. Bah is prosecuting the matter while Lawyers A.Sheriff, J.T. Mansaray, C.I. Williams, A.D. Sesay, A. Mansaray and A.S. Dumbuya are representing all accused persons.
The matter has been adjourned to the 13th July, 2021.