By: Audrey Raymonda John
Thirty-two-year-old Abdulai Fofanah, a trader, appeared before Magistrate John Manso Fornah at Pademba Road Court No. 2 in Freetown on charges of Larceny by a Servant, contrary to Section 17(1)(a) of the Larceny Act of 1916.
The particulars of the offense state that, between 2024 and Friday, September 5, 2025, at Malama Thomas Street and ECOWAS Street in the central business district of Freetown, Fofanah, employed as a shop attendant by Hassan and Linda Sesay, allegedly stole goods, including seventy sofa chair covers, sixty-eight window curtains, eighty-four backpacks, and other assorted items, totaling a value of three hundred and twenty-nine thousand six hundred Leones (329,600). These items were the property of his employers, Hassan and Linda Sesay.
When the charge was read and explained, the defendant did not enter a plea.
Assistant Superintendent of Police Isatu Baba Musa led the prosecution’s case, with witness number one, Hassan Sesay, taking the stand. Hassan, a businessman dealing in household materials and stationery on ECOWAS Street in Freetown, confirmed that the defendant, Fofanah, had worked as his shop assistant.
Hassan testified that on the relevant date, his wife, Linda Sesay, called him from China and informed him that some items, which they sold in their shop, had been sold to a customer named Fatu Palawa. Among these items were window curtains. Linda had asked if he had sold these items to Fatu, to which he responded negatively. He then asked Linda to engage the customer and find out where the items came from.
After further inquiries, Linda informed Hassan that the defendant, Abdulai Fofanah, had sold the items to the customer. Upon receiving this information, Hassan alerted the police at the CID headquarters.
The police arrived at Hassan’s shop, where they were joined by Fofanah around 7:30 pm. Hassan then asked Fofanah to accompany him and the police officers to Pademba Road, explaining that they would collect some information. At the CID headquarters, the police showed Fofanah the evidence gathered from Hassan’s wife. The following day, the police informed Hassan that Fofanah had admitted to having some of the stolen items at his residence.
Subsequently, Hassan and the police visited Fofanah’s home in Croobay, where a search warrant was executed. Several stolen items were recovered, which were later used as exhibits. These items, along with others like sofa chair covers, window curtains, African dresses, and assorted goods, were found to be missing from the shop, with a total value of 329,600 Leones.
The next day, the police visited Fofanah’s business premises, where they discovered 120 pieces of blouse material. All the recovered items are now in police custody as evidence. Fofanah later made a statement to the police, admitting to the theft.
Magistrate Fornah, upon hearing the case, refused to grant bail to the defendant due to the seriousness of the charges. The matter was adjourned to October 13, 2025 for further proceedings.