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Six young men, all working in the construction sector, were remanded in custody by Magistrate Santigie Bangura at the Pademba Road Court No.2 in Freetown.
The accused, including 23-year-old tiler Ansu Koroma and five masons—Abubakarr Serry (30), Tamba Kargbo (28), Mohamed Aruna (24), Kelfalah Kamara (28), and Abu Thomas (32)—face charges of conspiracy to commit a felony and larceny, in violation of the Larceny Act of 1916.
The prosecution alleges that on August 24, 2024, at Raymond Coker Drive, Hill Station, the accused conspired to steal a large quantity of building materials belonging to Lawyer Michaela Conteh. The stolen items reportedly include 70 cartons of tiles valued at NLe 63,000, 61 cartons of tiles worth NLe 33,550, and other materials including stone tiles, cement, and a pad, with the total value of the theft amounting to NLe 187,360.
During the court proceedings, Deputy Superintendent of Police Sorie Conteh called the first prosecution witness, Emmanuel Koroma, a driver and supervisor at the construction site. Koroma testified that the accused had previously worked for the construction company and that a video showing the accused stealing the tiles was sent to him by a colleague, Mr. Alex. The video was tendered as evidence in court
However, during cross-examination, the defense questioned the reliability of the video, with the witness admitting that he did not personally see anyone in the video and that he had not been shown the footage by Mr. Alex.
Magistrate Bangura denied bail for the accused and remanded them at the Male Correctional Facility in Freetown. The case has been adjourned to October 15, 2024, for further hearings.
