September 22, 2016 By Hawa Amara
Presiding Magistrate at the Freetown Magistrates’ Court No.1, Dr. Abou Bhakarr Binneh-Kamara yesterday committed to the High Court an office breaking matter involving a clerk, Prince Vandy, who allegedly broke and entered into the offices of Yada Williams and Associates and stole property worth Le51 million.
Magistrate Dr. Binneh-Kamara said in his ruling that the prosecution summoned four witnesses and that having gone through the evidence, the accused has a question to answer, pursuant to the offence as charged.
“I therefore commit this matter to the High Court for trial,” he ruled.
However, the magistrate granted bail to the accused in the sum of Le100 million plus two sureties in like sum, and that the sureties must be resident owners of realty in the Western Area Urban.
He said the sureties must present tittle deeds and National Identity Cards to the Master and Registrar of the High Court as criteria to approve their fulfilling the bail conditions.
Meanwhile, Detective Police Constable 9300 Onia Patricia Quee, attached to the Breaking and Larceny Syndicate at the Criminal Investigation Department headquarters in Freetown, told the court that on Sunday, 25 June, 2016 while on duty, a case of office breaking and larceny was reported by Lawyer Augustine Marrah of Yada Williams and Associates of No.7 Walpole Street in Freetown.
She said a team of detectives, headed by Detective Inspector Kamara A.J. and Scene-of-Crime officer, Detective Inspector Dumbuya I.S., left to investigate the incident.
She said at the scene-of-crime, she observed that the main door leading to the office was not damaged and that upon entering the offices, she observed that the main door leading to the offices of Bernard Jones, Osman Jalloh, and Yada Williams were damaged and the offices ransacked.
She told the court that one short Iron rod, two hand gloves and substance in a bottle, suspected to be perfume, were discovered in the offices.
DPC 9300 Quee informed the court that Inspector Frank Lewis arrested the accused and took him to the CID headquarters, where he was subsequently detained.
She noted that on 27 June, statement was obtained from Lawyer Augustine Marrah and three other witnesses and that on the following day, she and Detective Sergeant 5636 Williams I. interviewed the accused. The accused was charged with the offence of office breaking on 12 July, she said.
The accused was before the court on three counts of office breaking and larceny contrary to law.