November 6, 2018
By Yusufu s. Bangura
Magistrate Abdul Sheriff…poised to fight crimes ahead of festive season
Abdulai Timbo, Emmanuel Smith, Paul Cooper and Alusine Kamara were Monday (5th November) remanded at the male correctional centre in Freetown after their arraignment for allegedly stealing a metre belonging to a church.
The accused persons were charged with two counts of conspiracy and sacrilege Contrary to Section 24 of the Larceny Act of 1916.
Police prosecutor, Segeant 8435 Sesay G, alleges that the accused persons on Wednesday, 8th October 2018, at Faith Healing Bible Church, Sumaila Drive, Kossoh Town conspired with unknown persons to commit a felony, to wit sacrilege.
On the same date and at same place, the accused persons also allegedly stole one white EDSA prepaid meter valued Le850,000, property of the said church.
In his testimony, Pastor Tommy Lanson said he knew the accused as his members and recalled the date of the incident.
Pastor Lanson said that on the particular day when he returned home after service, he received a telephone call at midnight from the security guard that the electricity metre at the church had been stolen.
He told the court that he informed church members the next morning and reported the incident to the Electricity Distribution Supply Authority (EDSA) and furnished them with the particulars of the metre, adding that he requested that EDSA replace the stolen metre, which they did.
He said that he went to the Hasting Police Station and reported the matter. He told the court that after few days he received a phone from an unknown person at the police station that they had arrested the accused persons, adding that he later went to the station to identify them and made a statement.
Magistrate Abdul Sheriff, presiding at the Freetown Magistrate’s Court No.7, ordered the accused persons to be remanded until the adjourned date of 7th November.