October 24, 2017 By Yusufu S. Bangura
Magistrate Albert J. Moody of the Freetown Magistrates’ Court No.1 yesterday remanded one Joseph Cole to the Male Correctional Centre for alleged fraudulent conversion.
The accused person is before the court on one count charge of Fraudulent Conversion Contrary to Section 20(1) (2) (b) of the Larceny Act 1916.
The particulars of offence stated that sometimes in September, 2017, at 47 Thunder Hill Road in Freetown, the accused person fraudulently converted to his own use and benefit five thousand United States Dollars ($5000) equivalent to thirty-seven million, five hundred thousand Leones (Le 37,500,000) entrusted to him by Mohamed Kalokoh for safe keeping.
In his testimony, Mohamed Kalokoh recognized the accused person as his errand boy and recalled sometimes in September this year, when he was at home with the accused in the morning and told the accused that his boss (Mr. Sam) gave him $5000 to conduct business, while he gave the accused for safe keeping.
He further explained that on one Friday, he gave the accused an extra one million Leones apart from the$ 5000 to upkeep himself, adding that he later absconded from home.
Kaloko stated that he later got a tip from the accused’s sister and that he later went to her residence together with a police officer but they could not arrest him at that moment because they hadn’t warrant of arrest.
The complainant continued that he received information that the accused had wanted to travel to Germany, adding that he made statement at Lungi, Kambia and Liberia border, because he was told that the accused would use the said routes to travel out of the country.
“I went to one of the Toll gate and asked the police officers to stop the car. I looked inside and saw the accused. I then handed him over to the police at the toll gate and later brought him to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and he made a statement,” he said.
Defense Lawyer, J.M. Jengo, made an application for bail, stating that the accused is a Sierra Leonean with reliable sureties to stand on his behalf and that he would not jump bail.
E.T Koroma objected to the bail, stating that the accused person is a flight risk and would interfere with the witness.
The matter was adjourned to 27 October 2017.