By Fatima Kpaka
Detective Police Constable 14288 Ibrahim Bangura yesterday testified before Magistrate Santigie Bangura of Pademba Road Court No 2 in a case involving the alleged theft at Hill Top Guesthouse.
involving a cleaner Lamin Bangura
The accused Lamin Bangura was arraigned on a count of Larceny contrary to section 13 (a) of the Larceny Act 1916.
According to the particulars of the offence, the accused on Friday, October 18, 2024 at 32 Benjamin Lane Freetown, entered the dwelling house of Pawel Andizel Kusmierzak, a Polish national and stole therein the sum of fifteen thousand United States Dollar and two and half kilogram of gold, all to the total value of four million eight hundred and forty eight Leones(4,848,000), property of the said Pawel Andizel Kusmierzak.
When the charge was read and explained to the accused no plea was taken.
Detective Police Constable Ibrahim Bangura led in evidence by Assistant Superintendent of Police Dhalia Wellington, said he is attached to the Anti-Fraud Unit at the Criminal Investigation Department at CID headquarters in Freetown.
He recognized the accused person in this matter and further recalled October 8, 2024, while he was on duty a team of Detectives headed by Sergeant 10587 Foday Jaiah and himself went to Hill Top Guesthouse at No.32 Benjamin Lane in Freetown.
He said upon their arrival, they met the complainant who reported that his money and gold were stolen from his bedroom and that one of the suspects is on the run and left the accused behind.
Upon receiving the information, he said the accused was arrested and brought to the police station for investigation.
The matter, according to him, was allocated to the team for investigators headed by himself together with DPC 14846 T.J Gauja, adding that in the process, a statement was obtained from the complainant and his witness separately.
On the same date, he together with Sub Inspector Hassan Kargbo obtained a voluntary caution statement from the accused person in Krio which was recorded in English.
The statement was produced and tendered to form part of the court records.
The witness said on October 20, 2024, he together with Sub Inspector Hassan Kargbo obtained an additional caution statement from the accused person.
The statement was produced and tendered in court to form part of the court records.
The accused, according to him, was charged on November 21, 2024.
The charge statement was produced and tendered in court to form part of the court records.
The witness said they received a memory stick containing the CCTV footage of the accused person and the suspect who is on the run. The footage was given to the Cyber Unit of the Police.
The witness was cross-examined by Randy Bangura Esq. who renewed and adopted his previous bail applications on behalf of the accused person
Magistrate Bangura refused to admit the accused on bail due to the nature of the offenses charged. The matter was adjourned to December 20, 2024