By: Audrey Raymonda Joh
Thirty-six-year-old Patrick Ansumana, a driver; nineteen-year-old Samuel Ansumana, a student; and forty-five-year-old Foday Fornah, a stone miner, made their final appearance before Magistrate John Manso Fornah at Pademba Road Court No. 2, facing three charges: conspiracy to commit a crime, housebreaking and larceny, and receiving stolen goods.
According to the particulars of the offense, on Friday, January 3, 2025, at Ya-Marie Drive, Hill Station, Mountain Rural District, in the western area of Freetown, the defendants conspired together with other unknown persons to commit a crime.
Count Two alleges that on the same date and at the same location, the defendants, with the intent to steal, broke into the dwelling house of Bintu Sankoh and stole one hundred and seventy thousand Leones (Le 170,000), seven hundred United States dollars (USD 700), and other assorted items, totaling the equivalent of two hundred and thirty-eight thousand six hundred and ten Leones (Le 238,610) all the property of Bintu Sankoh.
Count Three further accuses the defendants of receiving the stolen goods, including the Le 170,000, the USD 700, and other assorted items, with a total value of Le 238,610, knowing them to have been stolen.
When the charges were read and explained to the defendants, no plea was taken.
The defense counsel, J.T. Mansaray, submitted a “no case” argument to the court.
However, the state prosecutor, Deputy Superintendent of Police Sorie Conteh, failed to respond to the defense’s “no case” submission on two adjourned dates.
After reviewing the evidence presented before the court and examining the voluntary caution statements made by all the defendants to the police, Magistrate Fornah expressed his conviction that the prosecution had presented sufficient evidence to connect the defendants to the charges.
Magistrate Fornah emphasized the indictable nature of the offenses and stated that, based on the evidence, he was confident that the defendants had a case to answer. As such, he ruled to commit all three defendants to stand trial in the High Court.
However, the bail conditions for all three defendants remain unchanged.