By Yusufu S. Bangura
Magistrate Mark Ngegba of Pademba Road Court No.2 has on Thursday,May 26, remanded Ibrahim Alpha Barrie to the Male Correctional Centre for allegedly stealing mobile phones.
Alpha Barrie appeared before the Court on three counts of conspiracy, robbery with aggravation, and assault contrary to law. He allegedly conspired with other persons unknown to rob four iphone promax mobile phones valued at Le48, 000,000 (forty eight Million Leones) from one Ibrahim Hassan Kargbo.
The accused is alleged to have committed the havoc on the 8th October last year, at John Michael, Off Wilkinson Road, and Freetown. On the same day and place, Barrie is also alleged to have assaulted the complainant in a manner thereby occasioning him actual bodily harm.
The accused did not take any plea to the charges because the offenses are capital offenses.
Testifying in court, first prosecution witness (PW1), Ibrahim Hassan Kargbo told the court that he recognized the accused and recalled on the above mentioned date when the accused called him via mobile phone requested that he want two 11promax and two 12promax mobile phones respectively.
He said Ibrahim Alpha Barrie; the accused requested that they meet at John Michael drive, Off Wilkinson Road to do the transaction. And the complainant said he went there with two of his friends. But the accused interrogated him at their arrival as to why he has to go there with his friends.
The complainant furthered that the accused told him to move down to John Michael drive. Whiles they were going, the accused made a telephone call and told him he want to change the United State Dollars he was having.
Immediately the accused stopped the phone call, the complainant said some unknown men, armed with sticks arrived and attacked him by pelting stones at him. Eventually, the accused and the unknown men forcefully took away the four mobile phones from him and ran away, Hassan Kargbo told the court.
Under cross examination by the defense counsel, B. Musa, the witness said they were seven men who attacked him. He further replied to Lawyer Musa that he dealt in online business and he has documents for the alleged stolen phones.
At this stage, Lawyer Musa made an application for the accused person to produce the said documents. Magistrate Ngegba adjourned the matter to Monday 30th May 2022 for further cross examination. The matter was prosecuted by Assistant Superintendent of Police, Hawa Bah.
