Ali Ahmad Hudroge has on Tuesday, March 22, 2022, testified in the ongoing preliminary investigation into the alleged Le1 billion theft involving his office assistant Mohamed Alami Tarawally.
The accused Mohamed Alami Tarawally made his second appearance in court and was arraigned on one count charge of Office Breaking and Larceny.
According to the particulars of the offence, Mohamed Alami Tarawally on Sunday, December 26, 2021, at Ali Ahmad Hudroge Enterprise, Kissy Dockyard, allegedly stole US80,000 (eight thousand united states dollars) (le 960 million) and also stole the sum of le80 million, all to the total sum of I,040,000)
Led in evidence by CSP Joan Bull, the complaint Hudroge said he is the owner of Hudroge Enterprise, and that he recognized the accused as his staff whom he employed for two weeks.
He further recalled Sunday, December 26, 2021, when went to his office and observed that his safe was broken and the sealing damage. He said prior to the incident, he left the safe properly closed.
He said there were monies in the safe which includes leones and dollars. According to him, the safe is right inside his office and the accused is the only one that had access to it. He added that he had three security personnel whose duties are to secure the compound.
He said the other two personnel are Brima and Bayoh. “When I discovered that my monies have gone missing, I informed the supervisor of the security company Mr. Hassan Jalloh of what had happen,” the witness said. He said after several enquiries from his workers, he reported the incident at the Ross Road Police Station. The witness said all his staff reported to the police station exception the accused who was on the run but was later arrested by the police.
At this juncture, the prosecutor requested an adjournment. Defence Counsel H. Tarawally applied for bail on behalf of the accused pursuant to section 79 sub section 2 of the Criminal Procedure Act No32 of 1965. The state prosecutor CSP Joan Bull opposed to bail on the grounds that the offence for which the accused is in court is very serious and that the amount involved is huge.
Magistrate Kekura having heard the bail refused to admit the accused on bail.
The matter come up again on March 29, 2022.
By Alimatu Jalloh