By Mohamed Foday Conteh
Defense lawyer who introduced himself as A. Koroma representing the Chairman and Leader of the Alliance Democratic Party (ADP), Mohamed Kamarainba Mansaray, in the ongoing trial of alleged penetration of a 15 year old secondary school pupil at the Sexual Model Court in Freetown said that the accusation of his client is merely political.
Counsel Koroma made this statement when he posited a question to the 1st accused person as to whether he had been an ardent political critic upon him losing the 2018 elections. The State Counsel, Umu Sumaray flagged an objection citing that the matter was that of sexual related than that of politics. She further mentioned that Kamarainba was not the only opposition politician that lost the election. Justice Samuel Omodele Taylor upheld the objection citing that the leniency given to Koroma was to build a background in his line of questioning but that he had however gone beyond normalcy.
Kamarainba in his testimony said that he knew the alleged victim that was introduced to him by the 2nd accused, Marion Aruni, together with his husband, as their ward. During that period, the 1st accused stated that he was in Koidu Town to supervise the construction of his hotel and said that he only met the 2nd accused after her husband had pleaded with him for job at the construction site to which he refused on grounds that the said husband is old and that the job at the site required hard labour.
The 1st accused continued to tell the court that he met the alleged victim the following day in the presence of her uncle and aunt, who also doubles as the second accused. Kamarainba further stated both the husband and the 2nd accused introduced the alleged victim as their ward.
During the following week, he said that the second accused met him for financial help for the alleged victim with regards to support for her schooling. Kamarainba said that he gave the sum of Le300, 000 for the alleged victim to help her in her schooling. He said that he had been doing that for other children in Koidu Town. Mansaray said that it was part of his values to assist children in education citing the construction of a school he did at Marampa Chiefdom.
Lawyer Koroma asked his client to shed light on his location on the 14th February 2020, the same date that the alleged victim is said to have been penetrated by the 1st accused in Kono. Kamarainba said that he was in Makeni on that date and further went on to state that it was habitual of him to spend holidays with his workers. He drew reference from previous holidays he had spent with his workers. The former opposition leader was keen that he spent Valentine’s Day at Makeni by citing several staff at his site as alibis. He further claimed that he spent the night with his girlfriend in Makeni; corroborating the earlier testimony of the said girlfriend.
Breaking down almost in emotion, the 1st accused claimed that he is being framed and that the allegations are disheartening as the alleged victim reminds him of his daughters in the US and Sierra Leone respectively.
The politician, through his testimony, said that he was just being magnanimous as he had bought phone, school materials and even attempted to pay the tuition of the alleged victim, all on the request of her parent and guardian.
Mansaray went on to tell the court of his innocence when he recalled that Sergeants Ibrahim Khalid Sesay and Hawanatu Dumbuya, all attached to the CID, sympathized with him and that they said he was innocent and that they have been ordered to quell down any lead that will exonerate him. To this, State Counsel Sumaray said that the accused was referencing dates that were not in the case file. Justice Taylor agreed with the State Counsel stating that Officer Khalid had testified and that the defense should have done a thorough cross examination. Lawyer Koroma, however, stated that his client was only mentioning that because it was pertinent in the building of their defense case.
Justice Taylor adjourned the matter for Thursday, 3rd June, 2021.
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