Man Sentenced to Three Years for Theft of Government Property
A Freetown magistrate has sentenced Alpha Umaru Newland to 36 months in prison after finding him guilty of stealing and damaging generator equipment from the Ministry of Finance.
Magistrate John Manso Fornah, presiding over Pademba Road Magistrate Court No. 2, handed down a three-year sentence for larceny and an 18-month sentence for malicious damage. The sentences are to run concurrently at the Male Correctional Centre.
According to court records, the incident occurred on March 23 at the Ministry of Finance on George Street, Freetown. Newland stole a generator control-system copper cable valued at Le137,000 and two 100-amp batteries valued at Le4,500 each, bringing the total value of the stolen property to Le146,000.
Newland was charged with larceny under Section 2 of the Larceny Act of 1916 and malicious damage under Section 51 of the Malicious Damage Act of 1861, having unlawfully damaged the copper cable during the theft.
In determining the sentence, Magistrate Fornah noted that Newland was a first-time offender who had pleaded for leniency, and ordered that the time he had already spent in custody be credited toward his prison term.
Comments