Police Sergeant in Court For Stealing From Parliament House

The Presiding Magistrate of Pademba Road Court No.2, Marke Ngegba, has remanded police Sergeant 1552, Desmond Kargbo, attached to the Sierra Leone Parliament, at the Male Correctional Centre for allegedly stealing chairs and other assorted items valued Le15 million.

Heritage Newspaper reports that the accused was before the court on one count of office breaking and Larceny contrary to law.

According to the particulars of offence, the accused person on the 24th August, 2021, at Parliament Building, Tower Hill in Freetown, broke into and entered the said building and stole therein four arm resting office chairs and other assorted items to the total sum of Le15 million. After reading the charges to the accused, no plea was taken and there was no legal representation for the accused.

Giving his evidence in chief, Police Constable 18415 Momoh Kanu, recognized the accused as a colleague and further recalled on the date in question.

He said on the aforementioned date, he was on duty at Parliament Building together with the accused around 12 am when the accused told him that he was going on patrol around the building.

The witness said after the accused had left at around 1 to 3 am, he saw a vehicle coming from State House towards parliament and parked at the side of the building.

“I saw the vehicle parked and I saw two men loading the chairs in the said vehicle. I immediately took my gun and went to the scene where the vehicle was parked and placed them under gun point,” he narrated.

He said when he questioned them as to what they were doing at the scene, one of them asked as to whether the accused hadn’t spoken to him about what they were doing.

‘I then ordered them to return the chairs to parliament and later I called on the accused and advised him,” he said.

The witness said while they were talking, he saw a police patrol vehicle coming towards them and upon their arrival, one of the police officers told him that someone had reported the accused to them.

He narrated that the patrol team was about to intercept him when he ran away, but was later caught and brought to the central police station where he made statement.

The accused was given an opportunity to cross examine the witness, but declined to ask any question.