By Audrey Raymonda John
In a recent court hearing at Pademba Road Court No. 2 in Freetown, Mohamed Kamara, a 45-year-old caterpillar operator, found himself once again in the spotlight. Charged with larceny under Section 2 of the Larceny Act of 1916, Kamara stood accused of pilfering a variety of construction materials from Casava Farm in Leicester, Western Freetown, on January 24th, 2024.
The stolen goods included a ton and 5/8 of iron rods, half a ton of half-inch iron rods, six head pans, two mound hammers, and various other items, totaling an estimated value of twenty-seven thousand nine hundred and twenty Leones (27,920), all belonging to Francis Kargbo.
Despite the gravity of the charges, Kamara pleaded not guilty when the accusation was read and elucidated to him in court. Representing the prosecution, Deputy Superintendent of Police Sorie Conteh marshaled four witnesses, including a key eyewitness, to bolster the case against Kamara.
However, Kamara faced the proceedings without legal representation, opting instead to plead for leniency from the bench. In a decisive ruling, Magistrate Santigie Bangura deliberated on Kamara’s statement to the police, the testimony of the prosecution’s witnesses, and Kamara’s own defense.
Ultimately, Magistrate Bangura found Kamara’s assertion that he would pay for the stolen items, despite maintaining his innocence, perplexing. With no clear explanation as to how Kamara could reimburse for goods he claimed not to have taken, the magistrate rendered a verdict of guilty as charged.
Consequently, Mohamed Kamara was sentenced to four years and eight months at the male correctional facility in Freetown, marking the culmination of a legal saga that underscored the complexities of justice and accountability within the Sierra Leonean legal system.
