December 1, 2021
By: Audrey John
One Abdul Rahman Kamara has narrated how three accused persons including Sulaiman Bah tried to manipulate him to steal a Nissan Land Cruiser belonging to NACOVERC.
The accused persons on the above action are before Magistrate Mark Ngegba of Pademba Road Court No 2 for Preliminary Investigation for conspiracy and other related charges.
Led in his examination in chief by Assistant Superintendent of police Hawa Bah, the witness Abdul Rahman Kamara recognized the accused persons Sulaiman Bah and two others in the dock.
He said on the 13th of October 2021, he got a call from third accused Sulaiman Bah who gave him some information. He said after receiving the information, he Communicate it with his wife who remarked that the accused has never been a good friend of his.
“I decided to come down to Freetown from Makeni to expose them”, he stated.
The witness said before coming he alerted the resident Minister of North-West Madam Isata Abdulai Kamara that he will be coming to Freetown after some people contacted him.
He said he was in possession of some audio records sent to him by second accused Abdulai Kanu.
He said they were communicating with him were they are with the vehicle at Wilkinson Road and later they said they are at bottom mango Wilberforce.
Explaining further, the witness said they gave him another direction at Hill Cut Road Junction where he finally met them with the vehicle.
He said the accused asked him to enter the vehicle.
“My lord I questioned them where they got the vehicle from. First accused told him he was the hired driver and that his madam has travelled with the first lady to Dubai”, the witness said.
In continuation of his examination in chief, the witness said first accused told him he was to sell the vehicle in Guinea and use the money to travel to Turkey.
“Where I sat, I thought what to do and asked they how much they want to sell it without documents”, he explained.
He said second accused responded that they have bargained for fifty million Leones.
The witness said he proceeded by asking if the vehicle has no threat and they replied in the negative, and further stated that no one is in search of it.
He said they went up to Kambia with the vehicle and on that point he contacted the resident Minister but all her contacts were off.
At Kambia, we alighted from the vehicle while he is trying to reach the minister.
“The minister`s driver pick up her phone and I instructed him to give the minister the phone,” he said.
He said he informed the minister that some people are trying to steal a Nissan Land Cruscier belonging to NACOVERC.
The witness said he distance himself from the accused whiles communicating with the minister on the phone, but at the same time observing what was going on.
He said the resident Minister surfaced at the scene with some police officer who intercepted the accused persons together with the vehicle. He said first accused Emerson Pratt when he noticed the police tried to flee but was arrested.
He said he went with the accused and police officers to the station.
“Being the master minder of the said arrest, I asked the police to detain me together with the accused in order for me to get better glimpse on what they are planning to say when making statement,” the witness narrated.
He said the matter was transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department Headquarters at Pademba Road, where he made statement.
Testing his evidence in cross examination by defense counsel CI Williams, the witness said he has known the second accused before the incident.
In another question put to him, the witness responded that the record he has for the entire event was not full, because he used to get some break down.
He said he has the chance to record because he was alone at the back seat when they are going to Kambia.
At the end of cross examination, the matter was adjourned to the 4th of December 2021.