Magistrate Hannah Bonnie on Wednesday 19th August 2020 at the Freetown Magistrate Court No. 1 on Pademba Road granted Le500 million bail to Baimaro Bangura and Ann-marie Kamaramba, a Belgian national, for allegedly defrauding a Nigerian national of 1kg gold. Police alleged that the accused persons on Wednesday 10th June 2020 in Makeni, Northern Sierra Leone, with intent to defraud, collected $33,000, equivalent to Le330 million in the pretext of selling 1kg gold to Benson Dadi, a Nigerian national. Police also alleged the accused on Wednesday 10th June 2020 in Makeni, obtained $1,175 from Dadi.
The accused were charged with conspiracy to defraud contrary to law, obtaining money by false pretence contrary to Section 32(1) of the Larceny Act of 1916 among others During cross-examination of the prosecution witness and victim, defence lawyer, H.D. Timbo for second accused Baimaro Bangura, argued that his client handed over the money to the second accused in Dadi’s presence, adding that he was only a middleman in the transaction.
Defence counsel, M.J.M. Sesay for first accused Kamaramba, who had earlier cross-examined Dadi, applied for bail canvassing his bail plea on Section 79(2) of the Larceny Act of 1916. Timbo, for the second accused, also adopted the same bail plea made by counsel for the first accused, urging Magistrate Bonnie to presume his client innocent until proven otherwise, subject to Section 23(4) of the constitution.
He said though his client is not a Sierra Leonean, he is willing to hand over her passport to the court while proceedings continue. Magistrate Bonnie granted Le500 million bail to both accused persons, plus two sureties each, one of which must be gainfully employed.
She said one of the sureties must own a property valued at Le500 million, and adjourned the matter to 28th August 2020.
By Sulaiman Karim Sesay