The Eight Hundred and Fifty Thousand dollars ($850,000) theft case that is before Magistrate Santigie Bangura of Court No.2 Pademba Road, Freetown, involves five accused.

They include 22-years-old, Doreen Yavana Sonnielly, a student of Fourah Bay College, 20-years-old James Fayia Foyah who is also a student, 27-years- old James Brima Foyah alias Jimmy a footballer, 54-years-old Yatta Jusu, a business woman and 21-years-old Mammy Momoh alias Grace who is a student too.

They appeared on Monday 24th June 2024  in the court.

State prosecutor John K Sesay Esq was the lead prosecution witness number four.

Saidu Konneh who resides at SS Camp IMATT was the caretaker. He said he takes care of the property on the above address and he had been working for the owner for fifteen years and that he recognized the previous prosecution witness.

He also recognized the accused persons and could recall the period from August 2023 to March 2024 at a crime scene of something that transferred between herself and the accused persons and the complainant.

That is sometimes last year. PW1 brought a cartoon containing something that resembled a box. She asked him to take it inside her room which he did. The witness said PW3 came to the house and called him inside PW1 room and gave him money to buy some building materials which he did, and in the evening hours he called him again and gave him money to buy water for the work.

After giving him the money, he locked the place and they both exited the room and on the following day PW3 arrived and opened the room and asked him for the key to the back door.

He told him that he had placed it on the mirror. They searched for it but couldn’t find it. Upon that PW3 made a telephone call to PW1 and the witness said he bought another keys to test them on the door but couldn’t open the door. PW1 instructed PW3 on phone to check her closet and when he opened it, he observed it was damaged.

PW3 then asked whom he saw that was entering the said room and he replied to him who he saw.

PW2 then brought the first accused to the house on that day. She took her later to the police station and when PW1 came the first accused was brought out of the police and was asked about the breakage. But she denied having knowledge of it.

The safe was damaged and if seen he can identify it.  The witness identified the safe the following day it was brought in court.

The first accused said it was Daniel that took the money and he later made statement to the police.

Daniel was accused to have given her $5000 and was taken to the police station.

The witness said herself PW3 and the first accused had the keys to the room of PW1 when the breakage was done she never saw people entering the room in question she used to enter the room to get the provisions every morning to prepare food for the family members including the first accused the witness said when PW1 was away she used to enter the room every two weeks

The witness said herself PW4, Daniel PW3 the first accused together with Jimmy live in the house and Alima and Ritta also live with them in the house. She said lives in the said house from Monday to Friday.

But she never knew where the first accused was and she never told her she was living the house.

The witness was cross examined by the defence counsel Charles Israel Williams Esq who renewed his previous bail for the fifth accused.

Meanwhile, Magistrate Bangura granted her bail with two sureties in like sum sureties of 500,000 each.

The matter was adjourned to the 17th July 2024.