By Jeneba A. Conteh.
In a recent court appearance, three men—twenty-year-old Anthony Kamara, a carpenter; twenty-five-year-old Alusine Sesay, a labourer; and twenty-five-year-old Josephus Mansaray, another labourer—were brought before Magistrate Augustine Brima Samura at Pademba Road Court No. 8, Freetown. They are facing serious allegations of conspiracy and burglary stemming from an incident at the LEOCEM Cement Factory.
The trio faces charges of conspiracy, which is against the law, and store breaking under Section 26(1) of the Larceny Act of 1916. According to the case’s details, the accused conspired with unidentified accomplices to steal from the cement factory on May 27, 2025. The alleged crime occurred at the LEOCEM Cement Factory, located on Bett Street in Kanikay, Cline Town, in Freetown’s Western Area.
The second count of the charges alleges that the accused broke into the factory’s lubricant store with the intent to steal.It is said that they stole a large amount of oil, including 208 litres of CLP oil, 180 litres of EP2 oil, and 208 litres of 15W40. The stolen items have a total value of 62,798 Leones and are from the LEOCEM cement factory.
The charges were read and explained to the accused in court, but he did not enter a plea. The prosecution was led by Detective Police Constable 14898, Joseph C. Dumbuya. Witness number one, John Mac Adeyemi, a principal shop steward and electrician in the factory’s electrical department, gave evidence against the accused. He recalled that on the day of the incident, after arriving at work, he received information from an Indian employee regarding suspicious activity. Following that, he alerted the factory’s security personnel, who apprehended all three men.
Adeyemi also claimed that during the interrogation, the accused admitted to breaking into the store and pleaded for mercy. However, he reported the incident to his supervisor, Mr. Chraykant, who directed him to take appropriate action. The matter was then reported to the Ross Road Police Station. The witness, along with the storekeeper, later inspected the store and confirmed the theft of several items worth 62,798 Leones. A formal statement was then given to the police.
Although the accused represented themselves and cross-examined the witness, Magistrate Samura denied them bail and remanded them to Freetown’s male correctional facility. The case has been deferred until June 19, 2025, for further proceedings.
