By Abass Jalloh
Principal Magistrate Mark Ngegba, of the Pademba Road Court No. 1 in Freetown, has levied a one hundred thousand (NLe 100,000) bail condition on Abass Kabba who was accused of stealing from Sahr Ellie the sum of fifty thousand Leones (NLe 50,000) and unlawfully evicting him at his shop.
Kabba was before the court to answer to charges of Unlawful Eviction and Larceny contrary to the laws of Sierra Leone.
The charge sheet stated that on the 23rd May 2022, at No. 22 Garrison Street in Freetown, the accused unlawfully evicted the complainant, Ellie, without lawful authority and at the same time stole from him one assorted colour bag described as “Ghana-must-go”, containing the aforementioned amount.
In his testimony, yesterday 6th September, led by Assistant Superintendent of Police, (ASP) Christiana Davies Cole, Ellie, a businessman, told the court that he knew the accused, Kabba, as his landlord’s brother.
The complainant recalled on the aforesaid date when he was at home while his younger brother was doing his business on his behalf at his shop which is located at the aforementioned place.
He said the younger brother informed him that the accused had closed the shop which prompted him to meet the accused but he brushed him off, aggressively telling him that he had warned him several times to pay the rent for the shop.
He told the court that he reported the matter at the Central Police Station in Freetown for which the accused was on the following invited for questioning.
Ellie stated that he and his lawyer went to the scene and found the inside of the shop disorganized and the sum of fifty million old Leones (Le 50,000,000) missing, money he said, was to be deposited in the bank.
“I then made another statement to the police”, he said.
During cross-examination, led by Lamin John Kamara, the complainant was asked whether or not the shop was locked, and he responded that his younger brother was doing business at the shop, noting that the accused came with his own locker to close the shop. He said the incident happened around midday.
He also confirmed that he usually pays his rent to three brothers (including Kabba).
He claimed the said money was from his daily business and had kept it for some time.
Asked if someone told him that an individual had gone with the bag, Ellie said he was not aware of that.
The prosecution did no re-examination and instead promised to bring another witness to the next hearing. The matter continues on the 27th of September 2022.
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