By Mohamed Foday Conteh
Justice Manuela Harding has sent Allen Cole on remand at the male Correctional Centre on Pademba Road in Freetown after the State alleged that he penetrated a 9-year-old class III pupil.
The judge, on Tuesday 9th November this year, remanded the accused after the State Prosecutor, Oladipo Robin-Mason Jr. led in his third witness.
The witness, Adama Harding, a Juba Zone Chairlady told the judge that she knew both the alleged victim and the accused in the matter as they lived in the same community.
The chairlady said that it was during Ramadan this year while she was preparing food to break fast that the child and her mother came to her. She said that the mother informed her she would like to have conference with her and Kadie, wife of the accused.
She said that she agreed after requesting that her husband’s younger sister, Jebeh also be present.
She said that the 9-year-old child victim told them that Allen penetrated her in his residence while his wife was away.
The witness said that she advised the mother and the wife of the accused together with Jebeh to see a community nurse for examination.
The woman told the court nurse asked them to visit the following day because it was already time to break the fasting.
The next day the nurse confirmed that the child had been sexually penetrated.
She said Allen told her he was innocent of the allegation and that it was a certain Ibrahim ‘Police’ that used to play with the child.
The chairlady said she told the accused that the Police will investigate the matter.
The witness narrated how she went with the mother and daughter to the Police to file a report against Allen.
In cross-examination by lawyer Jesse Jengo who was representing Allen, the woman agreed to have told the Police Allen allegedly named Ibrahim ‘Police’ in the matter.
She confirmed knowing Ibrahim but that she refused to summon him because the girl denied that it was not him.
She affirmed her only reason for taking the accused to the police was because the victim implicated him.
The witness said that although the accused denied the allegation, she was convinced by what the girl told her.
The accused, Allen was in court to answer to allegation of sexual penetration of a child contrary to the Sexual Offences Act of 2012 as amended in 2019.
He was said to have sexually penetrated the class III pupil earlier this year in a community in the west of Freetown.
Lawyer Robin-Mason Jr. asked Justice Harding for an adjournment of the matter in order to engage the police witness in an interview.
The matter will continue on Saturday 13th November this year.
Copyright © Politico Online 12/11/21
