Prince Kamara on Monday 3 April 2023 made another appearance before the Principal Magistrate of the Freetown Magistrate Court no.1 Magistrate Mark Ngeba for allegedly receiving stolen military ambulance from Josy who purported himself as the Minister of Internal Affairs, Panda Noah.
The accused is standing trial before the court on one count charge of receiving stolen goods contrary to Section 33 (1) of the Larceny Act 1916.
According to the particulars of offence, the accused on Monday 26 September 2022 at Waterloo did receive a Military Toyota Land Cruiser Ambulance with Registration Number 70SL79 valued at the sum of Three Million Three Hundred Thousand Leones (NLe 3,3000,000) from Josy Koroma also knowing to be a stolen property of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces.
In his testimony, Doctor Steven Sylverlie, Medical Doctor at 34 Military Hospital said he knew the accused in the matter and recall on Monday 26 September 2022.
He said on that day, he was at the hospital in a zoom meeting when he received a call from someone who claimed to be the Minister of Internal Affairs, Panda Noah.
The witness furthered that the purported minister said he had burial and he needed an ambulance to carry the body to the provinces for burial.
Doctor Sylverlie said he told the purported minister that he is in a meeting but the person insisted that he urgently need the ambulance and he instructed the Transport Officer at the hospital W.O 2 who handed over the ambulance to the purported minister on the orders of Dr Sylverlie.
He said the next morning he got an information about the ambulance, and he reported the matter to the Criminal Investigation Department.
The witness said they as military personnel started investigations about the ambulance, and they started getting bits information about the ambulance.
He continued that based upon intelligence they were able to know the house where the so-called minister was.
He said the house is at Waterloo in the Western Rural District and when they visited the house they found out that the purported minister carry different names and when he saw them he ran away and they arrested his wife and took her to the Waterloo Police Station.
He said upon information the ambulance was taken to a particular house where it dismantled.
He said the accused was arrested and detained at CID headquarters.
He said at the police station the accused produced the engine and one tire of the vehicle and he made statement to the police.
He said the engine and the tire are in the custody of the police.
The witness was cross examined by defence Counsel A. Turay.
The accused is on bail but could not meet the bail condition. The matter comes up on 17 April 2023.
