Businessman in court for “larceny, trespass”

By Saio Marrah

A businessman identified as Karmish has appeared before Magistrate Mark Ngegba in Freetown for “larceny and trespass”.

The court heard that both the alleged larceny and trespass happened on 26^th August 2023, at 13 City Road, Wellington in Eastern Freetown, and that the alleged stolen properties are worth NLe 200,000 (Two Hundred Thousand New Leones), property of another businessman, Alfred Richards.

Led in evidence by Lawyer Chernor Kamara, Richards told the court on Monday 16^th October 2023, that the defendant, Karmish, was his business partner, who used to supply him with goods. He said on the day of the incident, he had gone to the provinces to attend a funeral and that while he was away, the defendant called him and he informed the defendant about the burial ceremony he had gone to attend.

He said on the same day, his wife also informed him that the defendant went to his shop where his wife told the defendant he (complainant) had gone for a burial in the provinces. He said the accused then attacked his wife at his (complainant’s) residence during the night asking her for money when she refused to give him.

From that point, he said the defendant brought in Operational Support Division (OSD) personnel of Sierra Leone Police, who took his wife out of the house.

According to Richards when he returned to Freetown he approached the defendant who told him that he got information that he (the complainant) had gone to Belgium and that was the reason he cleared his properties.

According to Richards, the defendant cleared both the things he had supplied him (complainant) and other properties he had obtained from other partners.

The complainant also noted that most of the things he cleared were not what the (defendant) had supplied him with.

He also told the court that money in the amount of NLe 80,000 (eighty thousand New Leones) also went missing during the incident.

He also informed the court that the defendant did not produce any court order authorizing him to do so and that he hadn’t flouted the terms of their agreement, which states that he should pay after selling the goods.

During cross-examination by Lawyer Hindolo Moiwo Gevao, the complaint admitted that he was not at home during the incident and that all that he explained in court was explained to him upon his return.