By Elizabeth Kamara
Joseph Tucker, a 41-year-old electrician, appeared again before Magistrate Sahr Kekura at the Pademba Road Magistrate Court No. 1 in Freetown, facing charges of fraudulent conversion in violation of Section 20 (1)(iv)(a) of the Larceny Act of 1916.
The prosecution alleged that on Wednesday, September 23, 2024, at Momoh Drive, Juba Hills, Freetown, Tucker fraudulently converted NLE 16,140 worth of property belonging to Lucy Sia Conteh.
The case, led by 9939 Sergeant Mohamed Lahai, called upon the complainant, Lucy Sia Conteh, as the first witness. She testified that she had known the accused for about ten years through her husband.
Conteh recounted the events of the night in question, stating that she received a call from a neighbor at approximately 11 p.m. to midnight, alerting her about suspicious activity at her building site in Juba.
Upon arriving at the site, she found her neighbor detaining the accused, who was caught with two bags of cement allegedly stolen from her storage area.
“When I questioned the boy who had stolen the cement about how he gained access to the store, he revealed that it was Joseph Tucker, the caretaker, who had given him the key,” Conteh testified. She added that this interaction occurred in Tucker’s presence.
Following the incident, Conteh reported the matter to the Lumley Police Station. Both Tucker and the other suspect were subsequently arrested and taken to the station for further investigation. Conteh also provided a statement to the police.
Magistrate Kekura ruled that bail would remain in place for the accused and adjourned the matter to December 13, 2024.
The case continues as the prosecution seeks to establish evidence of fraudulent conversion.
