August 4, 2021
By: Audrey John
As the ongoing preliminary investigation into the electricity theft at Makeni continues, four accused persons who were remanded in custody since the inception of this matter has on the 3rd August, 2021 been released on Le 50 million bail by Magistrate Mark Ngegba of Pademba road court No 2.
The accused persons Mabinty Kamara, Aminata Turay, Sulaiman Alhaji Barrie, Thomas Hillary and Mohamed Yik Kamara were arraigned on two counts charges of conspiracy and Abstracting Electricity Supply contrary to section 68 of the National electricity supply Act No 16 of 2011.
According to the charges, the police alleged that all the accused persons on diverse date between Saturday 26 June and Sunday 27 June 2021 conspired together with other persons unknown to fraudulently cause electricity supply from EDSA to be diverted to their various houses in Makeni.
The witness Achebole Johnson led in evidence by ASP Hawa Bah said he is working for EDSA as technician. He recognized the third and sixth accused persons in the dock and further recalled Saturday 26 June 2021 and Sunday 27 June 2021.
The witness said on the aforementioned dates, the EDAS team left Bo on a trip to Makeni in order to check whether the meters are in good working order.
We went to the sixth accused house in other to inspect the meter, whiles he was inspecting the meter, he saw 13.1 unit on the face of the meter and further went on to punch some of the button on the meter, the meter was Aperture, I then asked who is the owner of the said meter, then one man came from the back of the house saying he was not the owner”, the witness testified.
He said base on that piece of information, he check the meter in his presence and told him to switch the light on, which he did, adding that he told the man that he is going to cut the cable and that if the light goes off it means he is getting current from the meter directly but if it does not goes off its means they are not getting light from the meter.
” I then cut the cable but yet still the light was on, I then discover that the meter was connected directly and that whatever current consume does not go through the meter”, he noted.
He said he informed the police who came to the scene and arrest the man and was taken to the Makeni police station where he made statement.
He confirmed that it was at the police station that he saw sixth accused who claimed to be the owner of the meter with Meter No 16400359457.
The witness also disclosed that he inspected the meter of third accused at Conteh street Makeni and discovered that the meter was wrongly connected, but said the third accused told him that he had no knowledge.
He said he informed the police about what had happened, and the accused was arrested and taken to the Menia police station while the meter was handed over to the police.
Defense counsel Moses A Mansaray for the third accused cross examined the witness as to whether he could tell the actual owner of the meter, the witness reply that could not tell the rightful owner of the said meter.
In further cross examination for sixth accused Hassan Yik Kamara, defence counsel J. T Mansaray asked the witness that the face of the meter shows 13.1units does not mean it runs on credit.
At this juncture, he renewed his application for bail on behalf of third, fourth, fifth and sixth accused persons respectively.
Magistrate Mark Ngegba however granted bail to the aforementioned accused persons in the sum of fifty million Leones and one surety each. He said the bail must be approved by the Deputy Assistant Registrar whiles the matter was adjourned to the 10 August 2021.