By Abass Jalloh
Magistrate Isata Sellu-Tucker of Pademba Road Court No. 2 in Freetown has remanded Sorie Turay, Abubakarr Sesay alias “Cartel”, and Rashid Rogers alias “Shylion” for allegedly robbing Fayia Moseray of money and properties worth thousands of the new Leone currency.
The accused persons appeared before the court to answer to charges of robbery with aggravation, conspiracy, felony, wounding, wounding with intent, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm country to laws of Sierra Leone.
It was alleged that the accused persons on Monday 18th April 2022 at Angola Town, Goderich, Freetown, conspired with unknown others and robbed the complainant Fayia a Samsung Galaxy mobile phone valued seven thousand Leones (NLe 7,000), a Toshiba laptop- five thousand two hundred Leones (NLe 5,200), physical cash of four thousand nine hundred and forty Leones (NLe4,940), Samsung Galaxy mobile phone - two thousand five hundred Leones (NLe 2,500), two extensions that cost- six hundred Leones (NLe600), a stabilizer -four hundred and fifty Leones (NLe 450), one power bank - three hundred Leones (NLe 300), and a black backpack- three hundred Leones (NLe 300).
It was also alleged that at the same moment Fayia was assaulted in a manner thereby occasioning actual bodily harm.
In his testimony in court on Friday 2nd September 2022, led by Inspector A. T. Bangura, the second witness for the prosecution, Tamba Moseray, a resident of the aforementioned place, recalled waking up his sister Fanta at around 3:30 am as it was the month of Muslim fasting so they could have their pre-fast meal.
He said while his sister was going outside he saw the accused persons coming in his own direction, adding that they approached him with cutlasses and threatened to kill him and that he eventually rushed back into his room and instructed his sister to “run for her life”.
Moseray disclosed that after they rushed at him in the room, he saw the second accused, Sesay, carting away Fayia's laptop and threatening anyone who would dare to challenge him.
Moseray narrated that when he noticed they had finally left the room, he opened the door only to see the complainant Fayia with blood on his body.
He said he then alerted some youths in the community who gave chase that led to the apprehension of the first accused, Turay, at a corrugated structure and was handed over to the Andokia Police station at Goderich in Freetown.
The witness said a Crime Officer at the Congo Cross Police Division questioned the accused and then he (the accused) later named the other two accomplices who were involved, adding that the crime officer later went to the scene and took photos.
On the 5th of June 2022, Moseray said he received a phone call from Fayia, informing him that police had arrested the second accused Sesay at Ogoo Farm, Goderich.
He said on 29th July 2022, Fayia called again and told him the third accused Rogers was arrested following an identification parade set up in the community and then took him to the police station.
During cross-examination, the first and second accused persons were not legally represented, so they conducted cross examinations by themselves.
Defence Counsel, K. Williams, representing the third accused, asked the witness whether or not he made a statement to the police. He responded in the affirmative, and the said statement was presented to form part of the court records.
Lawyer Williams suggested to him that because he rushed into his room he could not tell what exactly was happening outside, and the witness acknowledged that.
Lawyer Williams said while the witness testified that he saw the third accused on the day of the incident, he put it to him (the witness) that it was after the incident neighbours came to the crime scene, and he confirmed that.
The witness stated that he could not identify all of the witnesses.
At this point, Lawyer Williams attempted to renew his application for bail for the accused persons, but Magistrate Sellu-Tucker rejected and remanded them at the Male Correctional Centre at Pademba Road in Freetown.
The matter was adjourned to 8th September 2022.
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