June 1, 2021
By: Francis F.M.Harding
Three accused persons Lamin Kargbo, Alhassan Turay and Soko Samura have appeared for the first time before Magistrate Sahr Keikura of Court No 1 in Freetown on the 28th May, 2021. The three accused persons were charged with the offence of larceny of cattle contrary to the Larceny Act of 1916 and killing of cattle contrary to section 40 of the Malicious Damage Act1861.
According to police charge 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 cows 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.
On 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.
The three accused persons made their appearance in court to hear from the Second Police Witness (PW2) Suliaman Bah, but because of language barrier defense team put objection. W. C. Elloba Esq. objects that if the prosecuting team is coming with an interpreter, he/she must have a diploma in translation.
The Magistrate said he will tell the Deputy Assistant Registrar to inform the Master and Registrar to provide the court with interpreter. The State prosecutor prosecuting the matter is Inspector I.S. Mansaray and S.M.Tarawalie associating with the prosecution while W.C. Elloba, I.Turay and M Sesay Elloba represented all the three accused persons. The matter has been adjourned to the 2nd June, 2021.