By Francis H. Murray
Preliminary investigations into a 10-count charge including seditious libel, false publication, defamatory libel and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice brought up against Sylvia Blyden and Hussain Muckson Sesay has continued before Magistrate Hannah Bonnie in Freetown.
Led in evidence by State prosecutor, Lawyer Yusuf I. Sesay on Monday, Detective Police Constable Alpha Sesay attached to the Cyber Unit of the Criminal Investigations Department recognized the accused persons.
He recalled being on duty between March and September 2020, when he received a Lenovo laptop belonging to the first accused, Sylvia Blyden from the Operations Officer Superintendent Mohamed Kugba Alieu who was lead Investigator in the matter.
The witness alluded to his earlier evidence in court on the 14th September 2020, when he mentioned a 42 gigabyte flash drive which contained 18 videos with inscriptions that were discovered in the Lenovo computer belonging to the 1st accused. He said that the laptop was given to him to retrieve information pertaining to the investigations.
The eighteen videos were shown in a wide projector screen with different captions including: one that had a goat dressed in green with the inscription ‘‘a newly appointed State Chief of Protocol to President Bio,’’ ‘‘human rights violators, and the SLPP government constitutes to divide the nation, Le141Billion unaccounted for from the Ministry of Finance’,’ among others.
The witness added that six of the 18 videos were sent to various social media platforms, whilst 21 remained in the computer.
He added that the second accused was found with two different photos: a selfie of himself in front of the office of Superintendent M K Allieu and another showing Blyden during the time of interview at the CID headquarters in the office of Director of Operations, which was posted in a group called ‘‘Free Dr. Blyden.’’
Under cross-examination from Charles Francis Margai on behalf of the first accused, the witness said that they were mandated to look for data in respect of an ongoing investigation of defamation and seditious libel against Blyden.
He added that a screenshot of the said computer was taken in order to ascertain that it was the very computer handed over to them by the investigators.
Defense lawyer for the 2nd accused (Muckson), Melron Nicol Wilson, was not in court to cross examine the witness on behalf of his client, but Lawyer
Jesse M. Jengo pleaded for an adjournment that would allow cross examination of the witness.
The matter was adjourned to the 14th October, 2020, with bail continuing for both accused persons.
The prosecution alleges that Blyden, ‘‘on diverse dates,’’ published defamatory messages against President Bio and the country, which are ‘‘considered likely to injure the reputation of the president and the country.’’
Sylvia is jointly charged along with Hussain Muckson Sesay, an Engineering student of Fourah Bay College.
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