By Mohamed J Kargbo
In the recent court proceedings, Musa Jalloh, 39 years old, and Mohamed Jalloh, 70 years old, appeared once again before Magistrate Sahr Kekura of Pademba Road Magistrate Court No.1 in Freetown.
They faced charges of conspiracy to defraud and obtaining money by false pretense under Section 32 of the Larceny Act 1965.
The alleged offense, which occurred from the 1st to the 30th of January 2018, involved the accused persons conspiring to obtain three hundred thousand Leones (Le300,000) from Mohamed Bangura under false pretenses for a purported business establishment.
To proceed with the prosecution, Inspector Sellu Tap presented a witness, Vandi Bangura, who began testifying in court. However, the witness encountered difficulties in providing proper testimony. In light of this, Magistrate Kekura suggested scheduling a later date for the prosecutor to confer with the witness.
In defense of the accused, the defense counsel sought bail for both individuals. The defense argued that the second accused was an elderly and unwell individual suffering from arthritis, making it challenging for him to consistently appear in court. The defense made this application under Section 79 and Section 21 of the Criminal Procedure Act 1965.
Conversely, Lawyer C. Kamara, in association with the prosecution, opposed the bail application, citing the lack of formal documentation proving the second accused’s arthritis.
Magistrate Kekura, exercising judicial discretion, granted bail to both accused persons in the amount of two hundred thousand Leones (Le200,000). Additionally, both accused individuals were required to provide two sureties residing in Freetown, who should present recent national identity cards indicating their fixed addresses.
The case was adjourned to the 12th of March, 2024.
