By: Audrey Raymonda John

Prosecution witness Umaru Bangura attached to the Joint Force Command in the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Force (RSLAF) has testified that he used a pepper for self defence.

Bangura said he did it because when he arrested the second and third accused in the compound, one of the members of the gang tried to rush at him which warranted him to spray them with a pepper spray.

Bangura made this disclosure during his evidence in chief before Magistrate Shar Kekura of Road Road Court No.1 in the ongoing matter involving three accused who were arrested at Sierra Leone Red Cross Society Compound in Waterloo.

The witness furthered that, he tied the second and third accused.

Osman Santigie Kamara, a driver, Alie Koroma and Farah Conteh motor mecahanic were arraigned before the court for conspiracy, larceny and other related offences contrary to law.

Police records showed that the accused, on Friday 27th September, 2023 at Sierra Leone Red Cross Society Warehouse in Waterloo, conspired with unknown persons and stole from vehicle registration number AMD 728 a hub, dashboard, vehicle’s fan blade, a wiper, and other valuables worth thousands of Leones belonging to the aforementioned institutions.

He continued that he recognised the complainant as a security Operations Manager at Francier Security Company including the accused.

Bangura said he recalled Friday 27th September 2023.

On the said date, he was at Red Cross Society Warehouse in Waterloo as supervisor.

Bangura said he was sitting at the guard post with one of the Francier security guard.

He said he instructed them the guard to moderate the volume of the radio as he was hearing footsteps sound in the compound.

The witness said he saw a flashlight where the vehicles were parked in the compound.

Bangura detailed the court that he instructed the security guard to close the gate and admonished that he should not allow anyone to go outside.

He said he then went to the scene by his military tactics.

He said he saw more fifteen (15) people at scene disclosing that one of them ran and saw scotched at one of the vehicles. He said he arrested two of them having sprayed with a pepper spray.

Bangura said the first and second accused were taken to the security post and interrogated them.

At the crime scene, he said he discovered tool box containing spinners and a jack.

He said he tied the second and third accused feet with ropes and went in search of others.

“While I was searching the compound, he heard people screaming at the gate tif! Tif,”he testified.

He said the accused were taken to the nearest police post and handed over to the police, noting that before he handed over them to the police, he took photographers of them with his Apple mobile phone.

The photos he said we’re developed into picture, which were produced and tendered to form part of the court’s records.

He said while they were about to take the accused to the Waterloo Police Station, the security Operations Manager, Amudu Morlai Kamara arrived at the crime scene and the accused were taken to the Regional Ross Road Police Division in Freetown.

“I made a statement and handed a jack, a tool box and knife to the police as exhibits,” Mr Bangura concluded his evidence.

The accused were denied bail and remanded at the Male Correctional Centre on Pademba.

The matter was adjourned to 24th November, 2023 for further cross examination.

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