February 22, 2017 By Regina Pratt
A business woman, Madam Mary Boston, who shuttles between Sierra Leone and the United Kingdom, was yesterday granted six hundred million Leones bail after her first appearance before Magistrate Abou Bhakarr Binneh-Kamara presiding at the Magistrates’ Court No 1.
Led in evidence by Inspector Mansaray, the complainant, Mohamed Kamara, introduced himself as a businessman dealing in palm oil.
He told the court that he came in contact with the accused in December, 2014 at the Queen Elizabeth Quay, through a relative, Ramaru Fofanah, who introduced the former to him.
“We discussed about the palm oil sales and the accused told me that the oil cost sixty pounds per Jerry Can in London. The accused even told me that palm oil sells faster in London,” he testified.
The witness informed the court that he and one Solomon Kamara bought 2,090 Jerry Cans of palm oil from Massingbi village and shipped to the accused person in London.
He said Le37, 750, 000 was paid as shipment fees and that he never received feedback from the accused to whom the consignment was sent.
The witness said the accused person was arrested at Lungi and taken to the police station where she admitted that she had entered into a palm oil deal with the complainant but that she had not sold any.
He said the accused later took a u-turn and told the police that she had sold about200 Jerry Cans and that the remaining oil was still stored in London.
“When asked for the money the accused replied that there was no money,” the witness said, adding that the accused was instructed to give one thousand Jerry Cans to Simeon Conteh, a relative of the complainant, who stays in London.
The witness stated that the accused wouldn’t give account of the one thousand and ninety Jerry Cans of palm oil.
According to the statement of offence, the accused in 2014, at No. 7 Samuel Lane Kissy, fraudulently converted into her own use and benefit, certain property, 781 Jerry Cans of palm oil, valued Le414 million, entrusted to her by Mohamed Kamara for sale.
The accused was granted Le600 million bail with one surety in like sum and that surety should be a resident in the western area.
The Magistrate continued that the surety should present a bank statement valued Le300 million to the Master and Registrar of the High Court, who should approve the bail.
Lawyer Ben Kaifala, J Cole, S. Mansaray, S. B. Mondeh and M. Kpaka, represent the accused, while the matter was prosecuted by Inspector Mansaray.