By Fatima Kpaka
Magistrate Mark Ngegba of court No. 1 on Pademba Road has on Wednesday 14th September, 2022 committed a case of robbery against four former employees of Wongor Mining Company to the High Court for trial.
In his ruling after the defense counsel has argued a no case submission, the Magistrate said that the prosecution’s evidence against the accused persons was overwhelming.
He then committed the matter to the High Court for trial, but soon after defense counsel Jessie Jengo requested that he be allowed to abandon his argument of a no case submission on behalf of the accused persons when the matter comes up at the High Court for trial.
He also pleaded with the bench not to rescind his admission of the accused persons to bail that they had been granted earlier.
Prosecution lawyer Yusuf Issac Sesay expressed concern over the fact that bail had been granted to the accused persons for charges that are serious citing that two of the accused persons had been security guards at the said Mining Company.
He added that if the accused persons were to fulfil the conditions of their bail it will have a great effect on the operation of the Company, noting that the complainant had been expressing concern over threats from the accused persons.
In the circumstance he requested for the bench to rescind their bail so that the accused persons would remain in custody.
He disclosed that the attack by the accused persons had been well planned and that they had confessed in their statement to the police in respect of the allegations.
Lawyer Yusuf Issac Sesay said the evidence before the court against the accused persons was overwhelming. He therefore urged the bench to rescind the bail to which the accused persons had been admitted.
Magistrate Ngegba having listened to both sides, granted the application of the prosecutor and rescind the accused persons bail for it to be determined by the High Court.
It could be recalled that the accused persons Amadu Bello Mohamed Thailey aka bomb micnt, Augustine Korfuma aka councilor, Boibe Gibnia Conteh and Daniel Samura aka one man geng were arraigned during preliminary investigation on four counts ranging from conspiracy to commit a felony, robbery with aggravation, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and carrying offensive weapon without lawful authority and reasonable excuse.
The four accused persons are accused to have committed the above-mentioned crimes on Friday the 1st of July 2022 at Wongor Mining international cooperation, Sierra Leone limited kumoroh village, in the Nimikoro chiefdom Kono District. Police further alleged on counts two that the accused persons on the same date and place being armed with cutlass and scissors, robbed Ruiping Chen a Chinese national of a black bag containing four thousand four hundred and ninety eight point five four grams concentrate of gold substance valued $ 38,000USD and at the same time used personal violence on the said Ruiping Chen.
Counts three and four stated that one of the accused persons, Daniel Samura on the same date assaulted the complainant in a manner which occasioned actual bodily harm on him. The charge also stated that Samura was also found carrying a cutlass and scissors without lawful authority or reasonable excuse.
The accused persons had made 9 previous appearances in court before their committal had been admitted to bail prior to the committal of the matter, but they  had not been able to meet the terms necessary to effect it and had been in prison since then.