By: Audrey Raymonda John
Alhaji Sorie Conteh a business tycoon was on Thursday 11 May 2023 sentenced to thirty years imprisonment by Magistrate Mark Ngegba of Pademba road court No1 after he was found guilty of fraudulently converting to his own use and benefits quantities of building materials valued over one billion Leones entrusted to him by the complainant Rugiatu Lahai for sale.
The convicted accused prior to his conviction was arraigned before the court on six counts of charges of fraudulent conversion contrary to section (20) (ii) (a) of the larceny act of 1916.
The charge sheet indicated that the accused on diverse dates between 2020 and 2021 at Bo City fraudulently converted to his own use and benefits quantities of building materials, soft drinks, imported crates of water, mattresses, chair rugs and other valuable items totaling one billion and seventy-seven million and eighty thousand Leones for the purpose of sale and deliver.
Before sentencing the convict, magistrate Ngeba said the prosecution has to prove the guilt of the accused and so the prosecution called four witnesses to testify in court.
He said the testimonies of all the witnesses corroborated indicating that the complainant indeed handed over the properties to the accused for sale.
He said the accused in his defence testify on oath and call one witness.
Magistrate Ngeba said he has looked at the evidence before him and he is convinced that the prosecution has proven the guilt of the accused beyond reasonable doubt.
He added that the accused is guilty of the offence he was standing trial for.
The accused in his allocates pleaded for mercy.
The convicted accused was unrepresented in court and so no plea mitigation was made on his behalf.
Magistrate Ngegba, therefore, sentence the accused to five years for each of all six counts of
charges totalling thirty years imprisonment, adding that the sentence should run concurrently.
A.S.P Christiana Davis Cole prosecuted the matter.