By Audrey John
Mani Ngaujah made another appearance before Magistrate Sahr Kekura of Pademba road court No.1 in Freetown on two count charges ranging from Larceny contrary to section 2 of the Larceny Act of 1916.
According to the particulars of offence on Monday 22nd March 2021 at the Sierra Leone Commercial Bank Siaka Steven Street in Freetown Stole the sum of six million Leones (6,000,000) Property of Wuya Elizabeth Jabbie and on count two at the same bank on Friday 28th May 2021 stole the sum of two million Leones (2,000,000) property of Daniel George.
The charges were read and explained to the accused person and pleaded not guilty.
Magistrate Kekura giving his ruling said the prosecution in a bid to prove it’s against the accused person called three witnesses in evidence including the formal witness who tendered various exhibits respectively and all the witness were cross examined by Charles I. Williams Esq for and on behalf of the accused person.
He said the court moved together with the defence counsel to the Sierra Commercial Bank to observe the footage of the CCTV Camera and saw the accused person in the footage sitting while the complainant later stood up.
When the complainant was moving something drop on the ground that was not visible and the accused person picked it up and went away.
The accused person in defending himself denied the allegation and said on Oath that he went to the said bank to withdraw money from his account and gave his bank account number. He was cross examined by Corporal Zainab Y. Bangura.
Magistrate Kekura said in looking at the evidence in totality though the accused person denied the allegation but he admitted in his statement made to the police at page four of the court records that he took the black plastic bag that contains the money; in the light of the fore going including the corroborative evidence against the accused person he is convinced that the prosecution has proved its case beyond reasonable doubt against the accused person.
He finds the accused person guilty as charge and sentenced him to two years at the male correctional center in Freetown or pays a fine of three million Leones to the State.
