Three family members have been remanded into custody by Magistrate Sahr Kekura at Freetown Magistrate Court No. 1 following allegations of stealing $7,000 while serving as caretakers at the residence of footballer Kei Kamara.
The individuals charged are Abubakarr Turay, Fatmata Bangura, and their daughter Kadiatu Turay. They face charges of conspiracy to commit a crime and larceny under the Larceny Act of 1916.
The charges stem from an incident that allegedly occurred on January 15, 2025, at Fadika Drive in Hill Station, Freetown. Prosecutors claim that the trio conspired to steal $7,000 (approximately Le170,100) belonging to Kei Kamara.
During the proceedings, Abubakarr Turay pleaded not guilty, while Fatmata Bangura and Kadiatu Turay admitted to the charges against them.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Aminatu Daboh presented the first witness, Musa Koroma, a businessman and brother of the complainant, Kai Kamara.
Koroma identified the accused in court and confirmed that Abubakarr Turay was the caretaker of Kamara’s property. He also identified Fatmata Bangura as Abubakarr's wife and Kadiatu Turay as their daughter.
Koroma recounted visiting Kamara’s apartment on January 11, 2025, where Kamara mentioned he would be traveling shortly and planned to deposit some cash into his bank account.
After Kamara went upstairs to shower, Koroma noticed the money was missing.
Koroma testified that he called for Abubakarr, who came downstairs with Kadiatu, who appeared visibly upset. When Koroma inquired about the situation, Abubakarr did not provide an explanation.
He then went upstairs to find Kamara distressed, expressing that "These people have stolen my money."
Upon leaving Kamara, Koroma found Kadiatu still in tears, who moments later admitted to having $100 in her bag, claiming she found it while helping wash Kamara's clothes. Koroma followed her to their apartment, where he discovered the money inside a yellow bag.
The police arrived shortly thereafter and conducted a search of the accused's home, where they found SLE11,150. Fatmata Bangura claimed that this money belonged to her husband, Abubakarr.
After being apprehended, the three accused were taken to the Mountain Cut Police Station.
Throughout the investigation, Abubakarr maintained his innocence, insisting he had no knowledge of the missing funds.
Defense counsel C. Kamara requested bail for the accused; however, Magistrate Kekura denied the application due to the serious nature of the alleged offenses. The case has been adjourned until February 11, 2025.
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