By Abass Jalloh
A video of the Freetown Mayor, Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, which is at the centre of a case of alleged disorderly behaviour, has been played in court following Magistrate Mark Ngegba's overruling of Defence lawyer Joseph Fitzgerald Kamara's objection about tendering of the said footage.
The Mayor faces Obstruction of Police Duty and Disorderly Behaviour charges.
According to court records, Aki-Sawyerr on Saturday 17th September 2022 at the Police Division of the Lungi Airport, Kaffu Bullom Chiefdom, Port Loko District, obstructed Detective Sergeant 7966, Richard J. Caulker and Corporal Fanta Fofanah while executing their lawful duties.
During the hearing on Wednesday November 2nd at the Pademba Road Court No. 1 in Freetown, State Prosecutor, Yusuf Isaac Sesay, led in witness, Mohamed Jusu, attached to the Cyber Crime Unit at Criminal Investigations Department (CID) headquarters in Freetown to present the said video.
Jusu, who told the court that his role at the unit is to analyze electronic evidence and transform it to report, recalled the 8th October 2022, whilst on duty at the Cyber Lab Office he received a correspondence and a flashdrive from Detective Sergeant Kanu for analysis. He said he inserted the drive into the cyber lab and discovered that it had a video with play time of 1 minute 25 seconds which contained the accused person (Aki-Sawyerr) and two others, adding that he used a software called Harsh-E to check for the authenticity of the video and if it was not tampered with.
Jusu also stated that he also used a software called Voice Analyzer which he said helped him to know if the voice was not tampered with either.
Jusu disclosed after playing the video several times, he reduced his observation and conclusion to a report which he signed on the 11th October 2022 together with his colleague.
The findings and observations reduced into writings were identified. However, Lawyer Kamara also objected to the tendering of the said report, noting that a certain paragraph was rather highly prejudicial that it does not assist the court evidentially to ascertain whether the accused was guilty or not.
Lawyer Sesay, in response, said what the defence said are not in line with the rules that prohibit the admissibility of tendering a document, adding that the witness is capable of tendering the said document because he is the author and that the court should rely on procedure and law.
The magistrate again overruled the defense counsel.
The report which was tendered contained transcription of the video, the witness added, mentioning that the video contained analysis by way of conclusion.
The prosecution was about to tender the video when the defence counsel objected again on grounds that they (the defence) do not know what was in that drive, stating that it is the duty of the prosecution to serve them the document.
The magistrate ruled that the video be tendered.
The said video was played in court where it captured three people - the accused, Councillor Sheku Turay and Sergeant Caulker.
At this juncture, the defence requested for an adjournment to properly study the video and further engagement with their client.
The matter comes up again today Friday November 4.
The Mayor was reportedly found to be taking along on his delegation to the United States councillor Turay who was a person of interest to the Police in the wake of investigations into the violent August 10 protests in which 6 Policemen and 27 civilians were killed.
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