June 15, 2021
By: Francis F.M.Harding
First Police Witness (PW1), Mohamed Wurie Sow a business man who is doing cattle rearing business in the Kambia district have appeared for the first time before Magistrate Sahr Keikura of Court No 1 in Freetown on the 20th May, 2021 at the Pademba road Court in a case involving Lamin Kargbo, Alhassan Turay and Soko Samura.
All are charged on larceny of cattle contrary to the Larceny Act of 1916 and killing of cattle contrary to section 40 of the malicious Damage Act 1861.
According to police charged sheets, the accused persons are charged with two counts of larceny of cattle and killing of cattle.
It is alleged in count one that the accused persons on the 11th January, 2021 at Kasigiri village worreh, in Tonko Limba chiefdom in the Kambia district North West Region of Sierra Leone, stole eighteen (18) live cattle each valued at four million five hundred thousand Leones (Le4,500,000/00) and nine (9) live bulls each valued six million five hundred thousand (Le6,500,000/00) , all to the total valued of one hundred and thirty nine million, five hundred thousand Leone (Le139,500,000/00) property of Mohamed Wurie Saw.
In count two, the accused persons on the 11th January, 2021 at Kasigiri village worreh, in Tonko Limba chiefdom in the Kambia district North West Region of Sierra Leone maliciously killed twenty seven cows property of Mohamed Wurie Saw.
Testifying in court the Second Police Witness (PW2) Suliaman Bah said he stayed at the Kasigiri village Tonko Limba chiefdom in the Kambia district North West Region of Sierra Leone. He said the cattle’s belongs to Mr. Alpha Wurie saw. He said he recognized the accused persons. Witness said he recalled on the 11th January, 2021.
He said on that day he was at the Kasigiri village worreh when one male and one female cattle get missing. He said they make report that the cows have got missing. He continued to say that they discovered there was blood around. He said they called to inform Mohamed Wurie Saw.
He said the owner of the cows said he will send someone. He said the crime officer went to the scene and they counted the cows and they discovered that nine male cows and eighteen female cows have been missing. He said that the accused persons have given threaten remarks that they will killed the cows if they ever seen them within their area. He said the accused persons have drove them on two occasions from the bush. Witness said he later went to Kambia Police Station and make formal report.
Inspector I.S.Mansaray is prosecuting, Lawyer M.S.Tarawally is associating with the prosecution while Lawyer E.B. Kargbo, M. Sesay and I. Turay appeared for all accused persons. The defense team took a date for cross examination. The matter has been adjourned to the 18th June, 2021.