By: Audrey Raymonda John
Twenty-three-year-old Alie Kargbo, a mason, has been remanded at the Male Correctional Facility in Freetown after appearing before Magistrate John Manso Fornah of Pademba Road Court No. 2 on allegations of conspiracy to commit a crime and larceny.
Kargbo is facing two counts: conspiracy to commit a crime, contrary to law, and larceny, contrary to Section 2 of the Larceny Act 1916.
According to the particulars of the offence, on September 3, 2026, at College Road, Leicester Village, Mountain Rural District, Western Area, Freetown, Kargbo allegedly conspired with other persons, who are currently unknown, to commit a crime.
The second count alleges that on the same date and at the same location, Kargbo stole a yellow-and-black 3.5 KVA Thoprimo generator valued at Le60, 000, allegedly belonging to Ellen Mathew.
When the charges were read and explained to him, Kargbo pleaded not guilty.
The prosecution, led by Sergeant 3379 Theresa Ballay, called its first witness, DPC 14084 Mary Bashiru, attached to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) at the Fourah Bay College Police Post in Freetown.
Testifying in court, DPC Bashiru said she knew both the complainant and the accused. She told the court that she was on duty at the police post when the complainant and others brought Kargbo to the station, where a report of larceny was made against him.
The witness said the matter was assigned to her for investigation. She further testified that she visited the alleged crime scene with the complainant, who identified the store from which the generator was allegedly stolen.
According to DPC Bashiru, she took photographs of the scene using her Tecno Camon 30S mobile phone. However, she said that after returning to the police post with the complainant, she placed her phone on charge and later forgot to retrieve the photographs.
The witness told the court that she subsequently obtained statements from the complainant and other witnesses, which were kept in police custody. The statements were tendered in court and admitted into evidence as part of the court records.
DPC Bashiru further testified that on September 4, 2026, she and DPC 14010 Kargbo F obtained a caution statement from the accused.
She said Kargbo was cautioned and questioned in Krio, while his responses were recorded in English. At the end of the interview, the statement was read and explained to him, after which he acknowledged it as true and correct by affixing his right-hand thumbprint.
The witness said the investigating officer witnessed the process, while she signed the statement as the recorder. The caution statement was subsequently tendered and admitted into evidence.
DPC Bashiru further told the court that on September 5, 2026, she and DPC 14010 Kargbo F charged the accused with conspiracy and larceny, following the same procedure used in recording the caution statement.
The charge statement was also tendered and admitted into evidence.
The witness informed the court that she had referred to photographs taken at the alleged crime scene and, if granted more time, would produce them before the court on the next adjourned date.
Magistrate John Manso Fornah subsequently adjourned the matter to September 29, 2026.
Kargbo remains remanded at the Male Correctional Facility in Freetown pending the next hearing.