August 16, 2021
By Audrey John
Mahmoud Barrie and Alpha Fayia Kamara made another appearance before magistrate Sahr Keikura of pademba road court in Freetown on two counts Charges to wit Larceny contrary to section 2 of the Larceny Act of 1916 and receiving stolen goods contrary to section 33(i) of the Larceny Act of 1916.
According to the charge sheet it was alleged that on a date between the 1st April and the 19th July 2021 at No.2 Lewis Drive hill station the western Area in Freetown did steal seventy seven (77) Android tablets, seventy seven (77) power bank solar charger and fifteen (15) Bluetooth speakers all to the total valued of ninety seven million four hundred and fifty nine thousand seven hundred and one Leones ten cent (97, 459, 701, 10) property of postal government Sierra Leone.
On a date between 1st April and 30th April 2021 at Kamara Drive back of American embassy hill station the western Area in Freetown received stole goods to wit two android tablets phone and one power bank solar charger all to the total value of one million eight hundred and eight thousand and sixty seven hundred and fourteen Leones belonging to the said complainant.
Prosecution witness number one Hawa Olive Brima said she is the chief operations manager for purposeful Sierra Leone and her role include the smooth running of the organization and to oversee all operations and she also leading all human resource function of the organization within Sierra Leone.
She recognized the first accused person as the son of the office assistant Mohamed Barrie and he is also a security guard to B.R3V Security Agency he was hired to provide security to their organization and she only came to know the second accused person in respect of this case.
She recalled on diverse dates between the 1st of April 2021 and the 19th July 2021 something transpired between herself and the accused persons.
The witness said on the 16th of July 2021 a colleague requested for two tablets that were air frighted to them from the office in United Kingdom. And she asked the office assistant Mohamed Barrie to give the two tablets to her colleague.
Later the office assistant reported to her that seven tablets, seventy seven power banks were missing in the office.
The witness said on the 19th July 2021 she informed the leadership team and she was asked to report the matter to CID headquarters which she did whilst the investigation were on going the following week, the first accused person and his father who is the office assistant met her and colleagues and confessed that he stole twelve of the tablets and power banks and the accused person also admitted that he stole fifteen Bluetooth speakers that were missing on the night.
she said she handed over the 1st accused to the investigator that is investigating the matter the total value of the missing items cost ninety seven million four hundred and fifty nine thousand seven hundred and one Leone ten cent.
She said the tablets have the purposeful logo on both sides and one will see the UK Aid Logo and they have correspondence from the office to show that he received the tablets from the United Kingdom including the empty cartoons and if the court gives her time she will bring it along with the correspondence too.
Bail continues for the second accused person while the first accused person was remanded.
ASP Aminatu Daboh is prosecuting the matter adjourned to the 19th August 2021.