By: Audrey Raymonda John
Magistrate Ngegba of Court No.1 on Pa Demba Road in Freetown has on Friday, 28th October, 2022 issued bench warrant to a man that claimed to be an investigative journalist, Cyril Harold Smyth for failing to show up in court to answer to allegations of obtaining money by false pretenses from the complainant Esther Wilson contrary to section 32 (1) of the Larceny Act of 1916.
The particulars of offense outlined that you, Cyril Harold Smith on diverse dates between August 2020 to November, 2021 obtained the sum of Twenty Three Million Leones (Le 23, 000.000) Old Leones from the complainant for the purpose of renting an office space, Thirty Million Leones (Le30M) for Tricycle (Kekeh), Fifteen Million Leones (Le 15M) for 1 Pathfinder Jeep, Twenty Million Leones (Le 20M) for three mortuary vehicles, Six Million Leones (Le 6M) for lap top Dell computer, Seven Million Leones (Le 7M) for office furnitures and repairs, One Million Leones (Le 1M) for Sierra Leone passport, Five Hundred Thousand Leones (Le 500TH) for wifi modem and Three Hundred Dollars (US $300), equivalent to Four Million Eight Hundred Thousand Leones (Le 4. 800. 000).
All to the total sum of One Hundred and Two Million Five Hundred Thousand Leones (Le 102, 500. 000) for the purpose of crediting and falsely pretending to produce same within a month period which he failed to do, knowing the same to be false.
The matter was mentioned the accused person was absent in court.
No legal representation for the accused person, Mr. Cyril Harold Smyth, while the complainant was represented by lawyer Said Sesay and Ibrahim Sorie Y Kamara applied for bench warrant against the absent accused person.
Meanwhile, Magistrate Ngegba granted the application and matter adjourned to the 4th November 2022.