Magistrate Isata Sellu Tucker
By Emma Black
Magistrate Isata Sellu Tucker committed Keifalla Kanu, aged 21, to the High Court for trial on charges of fraudulent conversion involving a motorbike, on Wednesday, 21st May 2025,
Kanu was arraigned on one count of fraudulent conversion contrary to Section 20(1)(iv) of the Larceny Act 1916. According to the charge sheet, on Saturday, 7th December 2024, at Kaningo Malama, Lumley, Freetown, the accused allegedly fraudulently converted a black Bajaj motorbike, registration number AXB 040, valued at NLe 27,000. The bike had been entrusted to him by Mohamed Koroma for commercial use.
In her committal ruling, magistrate Tucker noted that, after reviewing the evidence from both factual and formal witnesses, as well as the accused’s statement to the police, she was satisfied that sufficient evidence existed to warrant Kanu’s committal to the High Court.
Kanu was subsequently committed and granted bail set at ten thousand Leones (NLe 10,000) with one surety of equal value. The surety must be a senior citizen residing in Freetown and must provide proof of identity and address. Bail approval must come from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DAR).
The accused has been in custody since the start of the case and has appeared before the court 23 times prior to this committal. He currently has no legal representation; in a related case Mohamed Alpha was also committed to the High Court by Magistrate Tucker on charges of fraudulent conversion involving a TVS motorbike valued at NLe 24,000.
Alpha was charged with one count of fraudulent conversion. The police allege that between 1st and 31st January 2025, at No. 21 Regent Road, Lumley, he fraudulently converted to his own use a TVS motorbike with registration number AWR 096, property of Josely Abdul Rahman Bangura, while the magistrate described the police evidence as overwhelming, she also noted it was insufficient to convict at this stage. Therefore, Alpha was committed to the High Court and granted bail of NLe 10,000, subject to approval by the DAR.
Copy right –Printed in the Expo Times News on Wednesday, May 28TH, 2025 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)
