By Feima Sesay
Idrissa Bangura a 25-year-old pupil was on Monday 22nd January 2024 sent to prison by Magistrate Santigie Bangura of Pademba Road Court No.2 for allegedly defrauding Samuella Winifred Conteh, a lawyer of her motor bike.
The accused is before the court on a count of Fraudulent Conversion Contrary to Section 20 (1) (iv) (a) of the Larceny Act 1916.
According to the particulars of offence sometime in January 2023 at No.24A Savage Street in the Western Area in Freetown, Fraudulently converted to his own use or benefit certain property that is to say one TVS Motorbike with registration number ASO 455 value Le 15,000 entrusted to him by Samuella Winifred Conteh for the purpose of driving same on commercial basis.
Sergeant 8811 Florence M. Wilson lead the first prosecution witness Samuella Winifred Conteh who said she is a Lawyer.
She also recognized the accused person as her personal rider and recalled sometime in January 2024.
On the above date she said she handed over her motorbike to the accused person and they reached an agreement for him to pay sixty Leones daily, adding that the accused person is to pay her three hundred and sixty thousand Leones weekly.
The accused she said later informed her that the motorbikes had been stolen.The witness said the accused person pleaded with her to hold on for two weeks after which he would pay the money he owed her, but
according to her since then she never saw the accused person until after she went and reported the matter at the Central Police Station.
She said since then she has not receive her motorbike neither her money, and the witness added that the motorbike cost fifteen million old Leones.
Counsel representing the accused person D.S Koroma sought for an adjournment to cross examine the witness.
Magistrate Bangura refused to admit the accused person to bail and remanded him at the male correctional facility in Freetown and afterwards adjourned the matter to the 29th of January 2024 for further hearing.
