By Haja Adama Kamara.
Musa Kargbo, Daniel Sesay, Foday Sesay and Bella Darboh were yesterday remanded in custody after they made their second appearance before Magistrate Sahr Kekura at the Freetown Magistrate Court No. 1 on allegation of house breaking and other related offences.
According to the police, the aforementioned accused persons on the 16th February 2021, at No. 104 Regent Road at Hill Station in Freetown, conspired with some other persons unknown to commit a felony to wit, house breaking.
Police also alleged that these accused persons broke and entered the dwelling house of Commissioner, Dr. Sao Kpato Hannah Isata Max-Kyne, and made away with physical cash and valuables totaling $10,000 USD, belonging to Dr. Kyne.
Consequently, police slammed charges such as Larceny, house breaking, conspiracy, among others which are all contrary to the law of Sierra Leone.
In her testimony to the Court, Dr. Kyne disclosed that she is Commissioner at NACSA. She recognized the first accused, but not the others. She came to know the first accused through a security agency. She disclosed that the first accused is her day guard.
She recalled on the 16th February 2021 as she was preparing to embark on a regional tour and decided to lock the upstairs of her house and leave downstairs opened.
“The first accused had worked for me since 2018, so, I had confidence in him. I was about to leave town and sat in my vehicle and remembered that I did not switch off my appliances, so I called the first accused and gave him my key to switch off my appliances upstairs. When he returned I took the keys for upstairs and left him with the keys for downstairs, so that he can have access to his food,” she explained.
She further told the Court that she drove out of the compound and left for the provinces where she spent three days. “Before long, I heard my close protection talking on the phone and mentioning the name of the first accused. I was curious. When I enquired he told me the first accused had left the compound,” she said.
She furthered that upon arrival from her trip she contacted the the first accused on the phone but it was switched off. “When I reached my compound, I went upstairs and realized that apart from the main door, all the other doors which I had closed before leaving were open. I rushed into my room and found out that the sum of Le15 million Leones which I kept inside my drawer was not there. I also rushed into my box room, and met it wide open. I also checked for my safe, but it wasn’t there,” she revealed.
She added that she was shocked and shouted that Musa had killed her. “My close protection came to me and took me downstairs. “Later, I realized that Musa and his colleagues made away with the sum of $9,800 USD which was given to me by my family members for safe keeping after a funeral we had. They also made away with my gold necklaces and my phone”, she said.
Dr. Kyne said she later reported the matter at the Congo Cross Police Station but the matter was later transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
“After days after I made a Statement to the police, I had problems with water, so I invited my cousin to help me fetch water. My cousin noticed some black gadget inside my bedroom. I enquired and saw my safe under my bed. It was empty and damaged,” she furthered revealed.
She called the police investigator in respect of the safe she had seen, adding that police told her to leave the damaged safe as it is, while they later visited the scene.
Later, police called Dr. Kyne to say that Interpol had caught one of the accused persons.
She continued that she made another statement at the Congo Cross Police Station, and an additional statement at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). Dr. kyne said the safe is currently with the police.
The first, second, third, and fourth accused that were not represented in court did not ask the witness and victim any question in respect of the allegations made against them.
More witnesses are expected to testify in the matter.
Meanwhile, Magistrate Sahr Kekura has remanded all the accused persons and the matter has been adjourned to 31st May 2021.
State Counsel J.M.S. Bull is prosecuting the matter.
