By Saidu Jalloh, D.S.
In a dramatic courtroom session at Pademba Road Court No. 4 in Freetown, Ibrahim Bangura, a security guard employed on Jones Street, was remanded in custody after challenging the testimony of a key witness in a fraudulent conversion case.
Bangura is accused of unlawfully converting a blue TVS King 300 tricycle, valued at Le80,000, which was entrusted to him for safekeeping on August 2, 2025.
During the proceedings, police prosecutor A. I. Bangura questioned the witness, Barrie, who testified that he was responsible for securing tricycles on Jones Street for a daily fee of Le10 per vehicle. Barrie stated that on the day of the incident, he handed the blue tricycle, registered as AXG 958, to Bangura for overnight safekeeping and advised him to lock the vehicle’s head to prevent theft.
According to Barrie, when he returned the following morning to retrieve the tricycle, Bangura claimed it had already been collected at 5:00 AM. Barrie insisted he had not sent anyone to pick up the vehicle and had not visited himself. Despite Barrie’s objections, Bangura maintained that the tricycle was collected as stated. This prompted Barrie to contact the complainant, leading to Bangura’s detention and subsequent questioning at the police station.
In his defense, Bangura, who did not have legal representation, vehemently denied the allegations, asserting that Barrie’s testimony was untrue.
After evaluating the evidence, Magistrate Kandeh ordered Bangura to be remanded at the Pademba Road Male Correctional Centre pending further investigation. The case is scheduled to continue on Wednesday, September 24, 2025. The proceedings have garnered significant public interest, particularly due to the contentious nature of the witness’s evidence.
For further inquiries, please contact Daily Scope Newspaper at dailyscopemedia@gmail.com.
