By Emma Black

John Kamara, a 38-year-old plumber, faced Magistrate Sahr Kekura at Pademba Road Court No. 1 on Tuesday, charged with larceny under Section 2 of the Larceny Act 1916. The twist,  a man who fixes pipes stands accused of swiping a water meter meant to keep them flowing.

The charge sheet alleges that on March 18, 2025, at 3A Syke Street in Freetown’s Western Area, Kamara pilfered a GUMA Valley Water Company meter worth 5,000 Leones. The device, entrusted to Gibril Yillah, vanished under Kamara’s watch or, prosecutors say, into his hands.

Kamara stood firm as the charge was read, entering a not guilty plea with a steady voice. Prosecutor DPC 17649 Brima Kargbo, caught short by an absent witness, requested a brief adjournment. But Magistrate Kekura wasn’t swayed: he denied bail, remanding Kamara to the Male Correctional Centre in Freetown. The case is set to resume on April 10, 2025.

For Kamara, the courtroom debut marks a plunge from plumber to prisoner ironic for someone tied to waterworks now accused of draining GUMA’s assets. As the gavel fell, questions lingered: Was it a slip or a snatch? The answer awaits, locked behind bars for now.