By Yusufu S. Bangura
On Friday 18th November 2022, Magistrate Mark Ngegba of the Pademba Road Court No. 1 in Freetown remanded one Abdulrahman Bayoh, a security guard at the site of the Institute of Public Administration and Management (IPAM), for allegedly stealing 16,500 (sixteen thousand five hundred) hollow cement blocks meant for the site.
Bayoh, 38, faces a count of larceny contrary to section 2 of the Larceny Act of 1916.
It was alleged that the accused between 1st September 2022 and 6th October 2022, at IPAM site, Bureh Town, Peninsula, Freetown, did steal the said amount of blocks valued NLe 297,000 (two hundred and ninety-seven thousand Leones), property of the said university while in the custody of Adetola Otufowora.
In his testimony in court, first prosecution witness Adetola Otufowora, who is an architect at Femab Properties Limited at Siaka Stevens Street in Freetown, confirmed that the accused is a security guard at the site and that he knew him prior to the alleged stolen blocks.
Otufowora recalled between the stated time and that on the 6th October 2022 at around 5:20 pm when he was called on the phone to go to Bureh Town. He said upon his arrival at Kent, he went to the police post and realized that the accused with other guys with a truck, were at the post.
The accused was arrested by the Bureh Town Chief, according to Otufowora.
He said the matter was transferred to the Waterloo Police station and later to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) headquarters in Freetown, revealing that it was reported that 16,500 blocks were stolen.
Understand cross-examination by Lawyer, A. Kanu on behalf of the accused, the witness said it is possible that he could not ascertain whether it was the accused who was caught on the act because he was not the one that caught the accused.
The lawyer put it to him that there was no document in court to show the number of blocks, and the witness answered in the affirmative.
The matter comes up again on Friday 25th November 2022.
