Two Sierra Leone Lawyers Granted Le5 Billion Bail

Two Sierra Leone Lawyers Granted Le5 Billion Bail

Two legal practitioners accused of defrauding a local businessman of $114,000 have been committed to stand trial before the High Court of Sierra Leone after a magistrate court rejected their no-case submission.

Magistrate Mustapha Brima Jah ruled that the State had established sufficient evidence against barristers Maurice Jenner Mohamed Seisay, 34, and John Mans, 35. Pending trial, both defendants were granted bail set at Le5 billion (old Leones) each under strict surety conditions.

The charges stem from an alleged scheme executed between November 1 and November 30, 2023, at the premises of Harding Sesay and Partners Law Firm on Dundas Street, Freetown. According to court filings, the duo conspired with unnamed accomplices to obtain three Toyota 4Runner vehicles from businessman Bockarie Conteh through false pretenses and forged documentation.

Prosecutors allege the lawyers secured the vehicles by falsely assuring Conteh that full payment would be remitted within 30 working days, a promise they allegedly knew to be untrue.

State Counsel Yusuf Isaac Sesay argued that the evidence presented during preliminary proceedings warranted trial in a higher court. Defense attorneys J.M. Gengo and M.C. Necole Wilson contended that the prosecution had failed to establish a prima facie case and requested a full discharge of their clients.

Dismissing the defense's application, Magistrate Jah cited Section 113(2)(b) of the Criminal Procedure Act, 2024, clarifying that the primary function of the committal stage is not to determine guilt or innocence, but to evaluate whether the threshold of evidence justifies a full trial.

“There is a case for the defendants to answer,” Magistrate Jah held, concluding that the prosecution’s case was robust enough to proceed to the High Court.

Under the bail terms, Seisay must provide one resident surety. Mans is required to produce two sureties, including one property owner whose real estate holdings in Sierra Leone must pass court verification.

The Magistrate emphasized that the committal order does not constitute a finding of guilt, and both defendants maintain the presumption of innocence ahead of their High Court trial.