The Mile 91 Resident Magistrate, His Worship Harold Kamara, has committed an employee of Miro Forestry Company to the High Court of Sierra Leone for alleged theft of diesel.

Unissa Koroma, a driver at the company and resident of Freetown Road in Mile 91 town, was arrested and charged with Larceny by Servant contrary to Section 17 (1) (a) of the Larceny Act of 1916.

According to the allegations, on June 8, 2025, Koroma allegedly stole 160 litres of diesel belonging to Miro Forestry Company at Royanka Estate in Yoni Mamaila Chiefdom, Tonkolili District, Northeast Region.

The prosecution presented its case, calling four witnesses: three factual and one formal. They all testified and were cross-examined.

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The defence Counsel Mohamed Korie Esq. filed a no-case submission, contending that the prosecution was unable to prove a prima facie case against his client.

However, the prosecution, headed by Sub-Inspector Ibrahim Forkie Bangura Esq., opposed Korie’s submission, saying he relied entirely on the evidence adduced in court and the matter was withdrawn for ruling.

Delivering his final judgement, Magistrate Kamara found that the prosecution had adduced sufficient proof to establish a prima facie case against Koroma. He said he considered the evidence of PW1, Remo Liot, the Security Manager at Miro Forestry Company, who testified that on Monday, June 2, 2025, at 8:46 am, he received a notification on his cellphone (Redmit 9T) on a GPS 51 application that a drainage of diesel had occurred on the Shacman 3 vehicle with registration number AVV 370, which Koroma was the only employed driver attached to.

The Magistrate noted that the testimonies of the other witnesses also showed that Koroma was the only official driver assigned to the vehicle from which the diesel was drained. He ruled that the circumstantial evidence of exclusive custody, electronic records of fuel drainage, and the absence of authorisation convinced him that Koroma had a case to answer.

“With these pieces of evidence, I therefore hold that the prosecution has established a prima facie case to be answered by the accused on trial,” Magistrate Kamara ruled.

While no photograph shows the accused in the act, the Magistrate said the circumstantial evidence convinces him that Koroma has a case to answer.

“At this stage, the Court’s concern is whether there’s some element of credible evidence on each element of the offence, and I’m satisfied that there’s,” he added.

Pursuant to Section 136 of the Criminal Procedure Act of 1965, Magistrate Kamara committed Koroma to the High Court for further trial. Koroma’s bail was denied, and he was remanded in custody at the Moyamba Correctional Centre awaiting trial.

After the final ruling was passed, residents who witnessed the trial commended Magistrate Harold Kamara for his diligent and fair adjudication of cases in Mile 91, including the Miro Forestry Company employee case.

Since assuming office as the first sitting Magistrate of Mile 91 Magistrate Court, he has consistently demonstrated a commitment to upholding the law and ensuring justice is served.

“His dedication to the community is evident in his thorough and impartial handling of cases, earning him the trust and respect of the local populace,” a resident praised Magistrate Kamara.