Thirty-Seven-year-old Prince Kamara, an auto mechanic,made his first appearance before Magistrate Mark Ngegba of the Pademba Road Court No.1 in Freetown on one count charge of receiving stolen goods contrary to section 33 (1) of the Larceny Act 1916.

According to the particulars of offence, on Monday 26th September 2022, at Waterloo, the accused did receive a Military Toyota Land Gusher Ambulance with registration number 70SL79 valued three million, three hundred thousand Leones(3,3000,000) from Josy Koroma, knowing same to have been stolen, property of the Sierra Leone Armed Forces.

Umaru Kekekura Turay, a military officer attached at the 34 Military Hospital as transport officer, testified in court.

He testified that he only recognized the accused standing in the dock in respect of the case and also recalled on the 26 September 2022 when he was at the above said hospital he received a call from his boss.

He said his boss asked him to assist with an ambulance for a certain government minister whose name was never mentioned in court.

He testified that his boss gave his number to the said minister and that they spoke and he told him to buy 130 liters of fuel.

He said he gave the ambulance to one Koroma SI, a military driver and that he later received a call from the driver that the ambulance had been hijacked at Waterloo.

He said upon hearing that information he contracted his boss and informed him about what had happened and that they went to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) to make report.

He said they were referred to the cybercrime unit where they traced the accused and arrested him.

The accused was remanded in custody at the Male Correctional Centre at Pademba Road in Freetown and the matter was adjourned to the 3rd of April 2023 for further hearing.