By Alimatu Jalloh
Syril Harold Smith, a man who identified himself as an Investigative Journalist, was on Friday 4th November, 2022 arraigned and admitted to bail in the sum of NLe 200, 000 after he made his first appearance before Magistrate Mark Ngegbe of Pademba Road Court No.1 in Freetown on the crime of fraudulent conversion to the tune of Le 102,000,000.
Defendant Syril Harold smith was in court for obtaining money by false pretenses. The case against him is that on diverse dates between August 2020 to November 2021 at Freetown, he obtained the sum of Le (old) 23, 000, 000 from the complainant; for the purpose of renting an office space, Le (old) 30,000,000; for a “Kekeh” (tricycle), Le (old) 15, 000,000 for one pathfinder jeep, Le 20, 000,000 for three mortuary vehicles , Le (old) 6,000, 000 for dell lap top computer, Le (old) 7,000, 000 for office furniture and repairs, Le 1,000,000 for Sierra Leone pass port, Le 500,000 for Wifi modem and USD $ 300 equivalent to Le 4, 800,000 all to the total sum if Le 102, 500,000 for the purpose of crediting and falsely pretending to produce some within a month which he failed to do.
Testifying in court, Esther Wilson, the complainant narrated that she knew the defendant in 2020 when her husband died.
She said that from August 2020 to November 2021, the defendant went to her house with other unknown persons to sympathize with her, adding that the defendant told him that he knew her deceased husband as a colleague with whom he used to drink ‘Ataya’.
Madam Wilson said that when the defendant came to visit her, she informed him that she had an issue with her Commercial Tricycle and that she needed a rider who should be someone staying within the Western Area.
The complainant furthered that she later handed over the keys of the tricycle to the defendant.
Madam Wilson also told the court that the accused also obtained an additional sum of Le 23,000,000 from her for the purpose of renting an office space; and an additional Le 20, 000, 000 for the purchase of mortuary vehicle; but the accused only purchased an old vehicle.
She added that the defendant asked for another sum of Le 7,000,000 for office furniture repairs, Le 5, 000,000 to repair an old car, Le 1,000,000 for Sierra Leone pass port, Le 500,000 for Wifi modem and USD $ 300 equivalent to Le 4, 800,000.
When the complainant was being Cross-Examined she testified that she could not recall the actual registration number of the tricycle.
She said that the owner of the life card of the tricycle was one Thomas Blango, adding that the “kekeh” had been involved in an accident.
She narrated that she visited the office often and saw office equipment, but added that the defendant had not been giving her updates on the business.
The matter was adjourned by Magistrate Ngegba to the 15th of November 2022 for further hearing.