By: Audrey Raymonda John
Magistrate Patrick Fofanah of Pademba Road Magistrate Court No. 1 has ordered the remand of Ibrahim Massaquoi, who is facing serious charges of burglary and arson involving a government institution.
The accused is before the court on two counts: Breaking and Larceny, contrary to Section 26(1) of the Larceny Act of 1916, and Arson, contrary to Section 3 of the Malicious Damage Act of 1861.
According to the prosecution, on Tuesday, 20 April 2025, at the Old Railway Line in Brookfields, Freetown, Massaquoi allegedly broke into the server room of the National Monitoring and Evaluation Agency (NaMEA) with the intent to steal.
He reportedly made away with the following government property:
Twenty-one (21) black Samsung Galaxy tablets
Fifty-six (56) Lite Samsung Galaxy tablets
Twenty-four (24) black power banks
The total value of the stolen items is estimated at Le264,000, and they were said to be in the custody of one Eshaka Massaquoi at the time of the incident.
Additionally, it is alleged that the accused set fire to NaMEA’s server room on the same date, with the intent to destroy government property.
Due to the serious nature of the offenses, bail was denied. The matter has been adjourned to Tuesday, 4 June 2025, for further hearing.