For obtaining goods by false pretence, a Civil Activist, Umaru Abdulai Sherriff was on Monday committed to High Court by presiding Magistrate Aboubhakarr Binneh Kamara for further trial pursuant to the offences charged and the evidences adduced during the preliminary investigations.
Umaru was arraigned in Court on one count of obtaining goods by false pretence with the intent to defraud a business man Osman Jalloh of one ice cream machine worth thirty million Leones (Le 30m) in exchange for a two town piece of land situated at Orugu, Allen Town in the Western Area.
Particulars of offence stated that the accused on unknown dates between 1st and 30th April 2015 at Regent road Freetown with intent to defraud obtained an ice cream production machine.
According to police reports the accused was arrested on 26th February 2015 after failing to comply with arrangements made with the complainant Osman Jallon and since then has been incarcerated at the Pademba road Correctional Centre failing to meet his bail conditions of forty-five million Leones (Le45m) and two sureties with bank statements of twenty million (Le 20m) deposit.
Before the committal of the matter to High Court, Prosecution Witness (PW2) Detective Police Constable 95100 Andrew Gobeh testified against the accused stating that he recognized both the accused and the complainant.
Attached at the financial fraud unit, Criminal Investigation Department (CID) headquarter in Freetown, DPC Gobeh informed the Court that he recalled 18th February 2016 when a matter of fraudulent act was transferred to him for further investigation.
He said together with Detective 9970 Abdul Kanu they interviewed the accused Umaru Abdulai Sheriff and obtained voluntary statements which the accused admitted to be true and on the same date charged the accused with the offence.
According to Magistrate Kamara the accused has a case, and therefore committed the matter to high Court and maintained the same bail conditions granted to the accused but yet to be fulfilled.
By Mariam S Bah
Tuesday Sepemter 06, 2016
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