April 19, 2021
By: Francis F.M.Harding
Second Police Witness (PW2), Mohamed Difan was in court to testify in a matter involving Bobson Momoh (accused Person). The accused person was arraigned in court before Magistrate Mark Ngegba of Freetown Court No.1 in Freetown to answer to one count of Larceny.
According to the case file, the accused person on the 24th December,2019 at No. 1 Spur Loop Wilberforce Freetown did steal a fiscal cash of eight million one hundred and five thousand Leones (Le 8,105,000/00), two wrist watches valued three hundred and fifty united states dollar ($350) equivalent to three million five hundred thousand Leones (Le 3,500,000/00) one Iphone 5 valued two million five hundred thousand Leones (Le2,500,000,00), one Sunny Picket Camera valued three million Leones (Le 3,000,000,00), one Tecno C7 Mobile phone valued one million five hundred thousand Leones (Le1,5000,000/00) all to the valued of eight million six hundred and five thousand Leones (Le 18,605,000/00) property of Aritus Mabatu.
The State Prosecutor Sergeant 8998 Taylor applied for an amendment to be made in the charge sheet which was granted by the Magistrate. The State Prosecutor proceeded with the new application with Court serial number 748/2021, and relevant documents remain intact.
Testifying, PW2 said he knew the accused person (Bobson Momoh) and the complainant (Aritus Mabatu a Kenya national). He continued to say that in December 2019 his uncle’s wife, Isata Momoh informed him that his uncle has encounter some problems at his place of work. He said they both left for the Wilberforce Village Police station where the Uncle was placed in Police cell.
Few minute later, the aunt instructed him to go back home and secure all the stolen properties and to keep them in a safe place, because Police were planning to conduct house search at that time, narrate the witness.
He revealed to the court that after taken the stolen properties including U.S dollars to his Uncle Mother-in-Law at Aberdeen in Freetown, later he received a called from his aunt informing him that there were no U.S dollars among the properties.
“Because I worked at Ferry Junction, I decided to make formal statement at the Ferry Junction police post, and I was instructed to bring along the remaining properties before they will commence investigation” said PW2.
The witness said upon his return home his uncle’s wife asked him to leave the house if he fails to produce the eight million Leones (Le 8,000,000/00) an equivalent of the 800 USD that was among the stolen items, with the two phones as well. He later saw five police officers with his uncle from the Aberdeen Police station and he was arrested and taken to the Eastern Police station were the case file was later transferred.
The Lawyer for the accused person made an application for bail but the magistrate refused the application.
Sargent 8998 Taylor appears for the State while Lawyer A.Kanu represented the accused person. Matter has been adjourned to the 23rd April, 2021.