By Henry Kargbo
Complainant Carlton Bull, high school student, yesterday 12 September 2022 told Magistrate Isata Sellu-Tucker of Pademba Road Court No. 2 in Freetown that he was threatened to be stabbed by Alicious Deen Tarawalie alias “Arata” if he refused to hand over to him his Samsung J4+ android mobile phone valued two million five hundred thousand Leones (NLe2,500).
Testifying in court, the complainant, who lives in Lumley Barracks in Freetown, recognised the accused only in the matter and recalled 1 September 2022, at around 9pm while trying to lock his shop using his mobile phone as a torch light.
The complainant narrated that the accused attacked him and forcefully took his phone. “I shouted, but no one could rescue me,” he said, adding: “I asked him to give me my phone but he took out a knife and said I should give him 100,000 Leones.”
The complainant said he later went to call one man by the named Mohamed Kamara to help him, but the man was unable to come.
He narrated that he quickly used Kamara’s phone to call his dad to plead with the accused but the accused refused to talk to anyone.
He said his dad told him to report to the police, which he did, adding that on Friday in September this year his dad came to town and went to the wash car and asked for him and they located him, only to find out that he was putting on combat.
Alicious Deen Tarawalie alias “Arata” appeared before the court on one count of Robbery with Aggravation contrary to section 23 (1) of the Larceny Act of 1916 as replaced by section 2 of the Act No. 16 of 1921.
According to the particulars of offence, the accused Arata this year at Beach Road, Lumley, Freetown, being armed with a knife, robbed Carlton Bull.
Magistrate Isata Sellu-Tucker adjourned the matter till Wednesday 21 September 2022 for hearing.