By Aminata Phidelia Allie
A Freetown magistrates’ court has issued a bench warrant for a police officer for failing to testify as an investigator in an alleged assault and wounding matter before it.
The officer, Detective Police Constable 14218 David Moses Stafford Kalokoh, an investigator attached to the Criminal Investigations Department at the Lumley police station, failed to testify before the court on three consecutive occasions.
He was to also tender a voluntary caution statement by the accused to the police in court.
Magistrate Mohamed Seray-Wurie of Pademba Road Court No. 2, made the order as per an application from police prosecutor, Woman Police Constable 5115 Margaret Kpundeh, who informed the court that both the witness and the complainant were absent. She said the complainant had also informed her about an out-of-court settlement of the matter.
Meanwhile, the accused, Lansana Foray, who was making his fifth appearance before the court and had no legal representation, pleaded for mercy, promising never to repeat his actions. The magistrate, who assured the accused that he would consider the plea, noted that he still needed to read the statement by the accused before he could make up his mind.
Allegedly, Foray assaulted a certain Osman Bangura, a Guma Valley employee, thereby causing him to sustain an injury on his forehead with a stone the accused allegedly threw at him.
The matter comes up again tomorrow for the police statement to be tendered in court.
In another matter, a certain Doris Gwehendolene Anthony was convicted and sentenced to 12 months in prison or she immediately pays a fine of Le 300,000 to the court’s sub-treasury for assaulting a cotenant, Isatu Bah, at Congo Town in Freetown.
Magistrate Seray Wurie ruled that his court “will not condone the conduct of the accused as what she did to the complainant was deliberate and systematic”.
Anthony, who was making a sixth appearance in court, had apparently thrown a bowl of salt at the complainant as they engaged in a domestic argument. The magistrate noted that the prosecution had adduced sufficient evidence against the accused, adding: “I am satisfied with the prosecution’s evidence in its entirety and I hereby find her guilty as charged”.
He also ordered the accused to pay a cost of Le 500,000 to the complainant before she could walk free.
In the same court, Magistrate Seray Wurie committed to the high court a matter of robbery with aggravation.
The accused in that case, Mohamed Sheriff, who had been under preliminary investigations by the court, faces a five-count charge of conspiracy, robbery with aggravation, wounding with intent, wounding and assault.
According to the prosecution, headed by Assistant Inspector of Police, Francis Nyuma, the accused, being armed with a stick and stone, robbed a certain Samuel Kanu sometimes in June this year.
The charge sheet also stated that the accused, together with other persons unknown, used personal violence on the complainant before the robbing of valuables including a laptop, an Ipad and three mobile phones totalling over Le 8 million.
The magistrate, whiles referring to the prosecution’s case as “satisfactory”, said he had closely considered the evidence and testimonies of the four prosecution witnesses, “and I believe they have adduced sufficient evidence to warrant the committal of this matter to the High court for trial and I so order.”
© Politico 25/11/14
