By Cheryl Thomas
Four people accused of involvement in the theft of 114 tablets belonging to the Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone (ECSL) appeared before Magistrate Aiah Mark Ngegba on Monday.
The accused, Mohammed Turay, a labourer; Ishmael Sesay, a security guard; Charles Francis Jongai, a contract staffer; and Sahr Kamanda; face charges ranging from felony and larceny to reception of stolen goods.
While accused numbers 1 to 3 were slammed with three charges of felony, store breaking and larceny, the fourth accused is in the dock for allegedly receiving stolen goods.
During the court proceeding, police alleged that on Tuesday 12th September 2023, the first, second and third accused stole 142 tablets, being bonafide properties of ECSL at the Wellington Branch in Freetown. These 142 tablets were valued at millions of new leones.
It is also alleged that on an unknown date in September 2023, the fourth accused knowingly received 11 stolen tablets from the first accused, Mohammed Turay.
The 11 tablets were valued at hundreds of thousands of new leones.
The Defence counsels, Lawyer Chernor Kamara, representing accused number one and two, and Lawyer M. Tullah, representing accused number three and four, applied for a bail to the magistrate.
Unfortunately, the bail applications were denied.
No plea was taken by the accused persons.
The magistrate adjourned the matter to Wednesday 13th December this year.
