During a court proceeding on Tuesday, November 26, 2024, five people were brought before Magistrate Santigie Bangura of Pademba Road Court No.2 on charges of stealing seven hundred and twenty thousand New Leones.

The accused individuals, Babar Koroma, Foday Turay, Bashiru Kemoh Bangura, Jusu Koroma, and Mustapha Jabbie, faced two counts of Embezzlement and Misprision of Felony. These charges were in violation of Section 17(1)(b) of the Larceny Act of 1916.

The indictment stated that Babar Koroma fraudulently embezzled the sum of seven hundred and twenty-two thousand New Leones on October 29, 2024, in Goderich, Freetown, while acting on behalf of Pee Cee and Sons. The other accused individuals were alleged to have knowingly received, comforted, maintained, assisted, and harbored Babar Koroma, despite being aware that the money had been stolen.

Furthermore, it was alleged that Foday Turay, Bashiru Kemoh Bangura, Jusu Koroma, and Mustapha Jabbie conspired to maintain the stolen money, which belonged to Pee Cee and Sons.

After the charges were read and explained to the accused, no plea was taken.

During the proceedings, the witness Chirad Garani, a marketer for Pee Cee and Sons, identified Babar Koroma as an employee of the company and Foday Turay as another employee. He recalled leaving the office on October 29, 2024, around 10:30 am to visit customers using a company vehicle driven by Babar Koroma.

The witness recounted that they proceeded towards Wilkinson Road, where upon arrival, he collected one hundred and twenty thousand New Leones. This transaction was confirmed by both Shebura Samura and Deen Jalloh, who were acting as cashiers at the time. The money was securely placed inside a carton at the back of the vehicle.

Subsequently, they made their way to the second customer located behind Collegiate School. Here, he collected eighty thousand new Leones in the presence of the two cashiers, and the funds were sealed for safekeeping.

The witness detailed that the first accused individual was seated in the driver’s seat of the vehicle as they proceeded to their third customer at Funkia Market. Upon arrival, they parked at a junction, and he was instructed to watch over the two cartons while the others attended to the customer.

Following the successful collection of five hundred and twenty-two thousand New Leones, the money was handled in accordance with established procedures. The funds were then handed over to the first accused, bringing the total number of cartons to four.

Upon returning to the market to collect payments from other customers, they discovered that the vehicle had been moved from its original location. Despite attempts to contact the first accused, his phone was switched off. Subsequent investigations revealed that the cartons containing the money were missing, along with the first accused.

Witnesses reported seeing the first accused departing with two motorcycle riders, who were believed to have absconded with the funds. Following these events, the witness promptly reported the incident to his superiors, who advised him to file a report at Lumley Police Station.

In court, the witness presented receipts documenting all monetary transactions conducted during the course of the day.

During the court proceedings, Defense Counsel A.K. Kamara requested access to the witness statements in accordance with Section 85(1) of the Criminal Procedure Act of 2024. In response, Juan Bull stated that the accused had not presented their case yet, emphasizing that this was a preliminary trial. He further explained that they do not engage in trial by ambush during preliminary hearings.

The Defense contended that in order to assist the court in making a decision for committal, they needed to review the witness statements alongside the charges to prevent any surprises during the trial.

Magistrate Santigie Bangura ultimately ruled that once the matter is transferred to the High Court, they would have the authority to request the witness statements. This decision ensures a fair and transparent legal process moving forward.