Auto-rickshaw Operator Remanded on Counterfeit Currency Charges

Auto-rickshaw Operator Remanded on Counterfeit Currency Charges

Foday Sankoh, a 32-year-old auto-rickshaw operator, was remanded to the Male Correctional Facility following his arraignment on allegations of possessing counterfeit currency.

The accused appeared before Magistrate Mustapha Braima Jah at the Pademba Road Magistrate Court No. 1, facing charges under Section 34(1) of the Bank of Sierra Leone Act No. 5 of 2019. The prosecution alleges that on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, at State Avenue in Freetown, Sankoh was apprehended in possession of two hundred Leones (NLe 200) in twenty-Leone denominations, all bearing the identical serial number DD668645.

During the proceedings, the court noted that the matter is currently at the stage of a preliminary investigation; consequently, no plea was entered by the defendant. The prosecuting officer, DPC 17649 Kargbo B, confirmed that the defense had been served with the requisite witness statements.

Magistrate Jah denied bail, ordering the defendant's detention pending the next hearing. The matter has been adjourned to April 22, 2026, for the commencement of further testimony.