Dr. Mohamed Alex Vandi, the Director of Health Security Emergency at Emergency Operations Centre, has on Tuesday June 23, 2020, testified before Principal Magistrate Hannah Bonnie of court No.1 in a matter in which his servant, Alieu Koroma allegedly stole a bag containing over Le 143 million from a vehicle with registration number ANT 829 on Wednesday November 13, 2019 at the Emergency Operational Centre (E.O.C), Cockerill, Freetown.
Dr. Vandi recalled that on Wednesday November 13, 2020, the accused, who drives for him came to pick him up, and he gave him the bag containing the money for him to put it in the vehicle. He said on their arrival at EOC office at Cockerill he took his computer bag with him to the office, and left the bag which contained over Le 143,000,000 in the vehicle hoping to collect it after the meeting he had gone to attend there.
He said that he had wanted to give the accused some food, but could not get him although he called him several times on the phone.
He furthered that, later he also called the accused on the phone, but he did not pick up any of his calls. He added that he told the securities around to check for the accused but to no avail. He said he ended up giving away the food to the security and he went back and continued to be in the meeting.
Dr. Vandi said at around 4:10pm he received a call from his wife, Massah Vandi informing him that his son, Murray Vandi, was still in school and the driver, who is the accused had not gone to pick him from school as he usually does. He said that after that call he called the accused person for about five times but he did not pick up his call, and after he searched all over the car park for the accused he could not find him.
He added that he was informed by the other drivers that the accused had told them that the car had had a mechanical failure and he was taking it to the mechanics.
Dr. Vandi mentioned that based upon that information he called his fitters to crosscheck whether the accused had taken the car to the garage.
He said he sent someone to search for the accused at his house but the person had been informed by a neighbor that the accused had transferred to some other area with his family.
He said after that he then reported the matter at the CID Headquarters on Pademba Road.
During the cross-examination by Defense Counsel D.J. Lavalie, the witness revealed that the accused was a volunteer at the Ministry of Health and Sanitation for the past two years, and his name is not on government payroll. He disclosed that the accused was not receiving salary from the government, but he was paying him Le 30,000 per day.
Dr. Vandi furthered that the money was withdrawn from the miscellaneous account of the Ministry of Health and Sanitation and was meant for supervision across seven districts.
By Isabella Cassell
26/6/2020. ISSUE NO.: 7854