By Alimatu Jalloh
December 2, 2025: A civil servant, Claudia Sam, on Tuesday testified before Magistrate John Manso Fornah at Pademba Road Court No. 2 in Freetown in an ongoing theft case involving three defendants.
Led in evidence by Detective Police Constable Thoronka K.K., the witness identified all defendants as individuals she knew from her community. She recalled that on September 20, 2025, while at her building site, she discovered that several construction materials had gone missing, including:
- Half ton of 12mm iron rods
- 11 and 5/8mm iron rods
- Over ten gallons of paint
- Electrical cables
- Six PVC pipes
She reported the matter to the police after her children noticed footprints on the wall and linked the theft to the defendants. Acting on her information, police executed a search warrant at the premises of the second and third defendants, where they recovered some of the stolen items, including paint and iron rods. Claudia Sam produced receipts for the materials, which were tendered in court as Exhibits A1–4.
The Defendants
The accused are:
- Sheku Marrah, 22, a welder
- Rugiatu Bah, 26, a petty trader
- Musa Bah, 23, a motorcycle rider
They face three counts:
- Larceny contrary to Section 2 of the Larceny Act of 1916
- Receiving stolen goods contrary to Section 33(1) of the same Act (two counts)
According to the charge sheet, the stolen items were valued at Le 22,290. The second defendant allegedly received stolen paint worth Le 1,300, while the third defendant allegedly received iron rods valued at Le 7,000.
All three defendants pleaded not guilty. Defence counsel F. Bayoh Esq. cross-examined the witness, and the matter was adjourned to December 12, 2025, with bail continuing for the accused.
Background on the Law and Fines
The Larceny Act of 1916, inherited from colonial legislation, remains in force in Sierra Leone. Under Section 2, larceny is punishable by imprisonment and/or fines depending on the value of the stolen property. Section 33(1) criminalises knowingly receiving stolen goods, carrying similar penalties.
In practice, courts often impose custodial sentences for serious thefts involving high-value property, while fines may be levied in cases of lesser value or first-time offenders. The fines are intended both as punishment and deterrence, though inflation and currency changes since 1916 have made monetary penalties less significant compared to imprisonment.
This case highlights the continuing reliance on the Larceny Act in Sierra Leone’s justice system, even as calls grow for modernisation of criminal law to reflect current economic realities.