By Saio Marrah
29 year old accused, Ishmael Kabbia, has said in a Magistrate Court in Freetown that what he said in his statement to the Police was not what was recorded.
The accused businessman said this during cross examination by Police Prosecutor, Inspector Tamba AP Sellu at the Pademba Road Court No.1 on Tuesday 14th November 2023.
Responding to question as to why he then signed the statement, Kabia said, “I was tutored to sign the statement” and added, “One of the police officers is the complainant’s uncle.”
He also insisted that he did not collect any money from the complainant while pointing out that the complainant is his brother in-law.
The accused, who said he works as a marketer for Qnet selling online products insisted that he did not explain anything to the complainant about overseas travel.
When he was asked to bring a sample of the product to court, the accused told the court that he could not do so because the products are not physically with him, but virtually unless one orders for it.
The accused had already testified in chief during the previous hearing. The end of the cross- examination saw the prosecution closing its case.
Presiding Magistrate, Mark Ngegba dismissed Defence Lawyer Chernor Kamara’s no case submission on the basis that there was sufficient evidence for the court.
Thus, he committed the matter to high court for trial, but however granted the accused bail.
The accused is facing two counts of conspiracy to defraud and obtaining money by false pretence. The court learned that between the 1st and 31st July this year, at Qnet office, Fannah Junction, Devil Hole in Western Area Rural District, the accused conspired with Hassan Moses and other persons to defraud the complainant, Usifu Kamara of the sum of NLe 21,000, (twenty one thousand New Leones) with the promise of facilitating his travel to South Africa.
Between the same diverse dates, the accused was also said to have collected NLE 1,000 (one thousand New Leones) from the complainant on the same promise.
Copyright © 2023 Politico (17/11/23)
