By Mohamed Foday Conteh & Nasratu Kargbo
Defence witness No. 3, Mohamed Bangura, has on the 6th July 2021 testified at the Sexual Model Court in Freetown involving Mohamed Kamarainba Mansaray in an alleged sexual penetration of a secondary school pupil in Kono, eastern Sierra Leone.
Mohamed Bangura, a building contractor for the accused and a resident of 25 Mansaray Street in Makeni, narrated to the court that the accused person, Kamarainba was with them on the 14th February 2020, the said date on which the alleged victim had said that the accused took her to the Lion Mountain Guesthouse in Kono.
Bangura, a building contractor, testified that Kamarainba was with them that day and that he and other contractors were working on the construction of a swimming pool at the said residence. He said that on that very day, they had asked the accused to throw them a party since it was Valentine’s Day. He said that the accused together with Isha, the said girlfriend and Defence Witness No.1 agreed to organise a party for them.
He added that on the following day, Isha left for Kono leaving the first accused in Makeni. He continued that he and Kamarainba left on the 16th February 2020, which was on a sunday, together with one Johnny an electrician, and Mumuni a carpenter. He said that they only returned to Makeni on Tuesday.
During cross-examination by State counsel Umu Sumaray, Bangura reaffirmed that Kamarainba was in Makeni with them on the 14th of February 2020.
Defence counsel, Samuel Momodu Konteh, led in 3 other witnesses tagged as DW 4, 5 and 6. Ibrahim Fofana the caretaker , Sullay Bangura a stonemason on contract for the accused at the time of the alleged incident and one Isatu Kamara, Kamarainba’s cook,all testified in court on his behalf.
Mohamed Kamarainba Mansaray is on trial with Marion Aruni as the second accused person.
Justice Samuel Omodele Taylor adjourned the matter for Thursday, 8th July 2021 suggesting that the defence undertake a synopsis of the 40 witnesses to ascertain expediency. The accused is still on remand at the Pademba Road Correctional Centre.
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Meanwhile speaking in Parliament on the state of the justice system in the country, the Leader of the main opposition APC party , Chernor Maju Bah has made a case for release on bail of the former opposition leader of the Alliance Democratic Party, Mohamed Kamarainba Mansaray who has been on trial for about a year now over alleged sexual penetration of a minor.
The MP said that respecting the rights of everyone is a must and not a favour. Therefore, he said he was looking forward to an impartial and transparent judiciary system that ensures justice for all without prejudice.
However, he said "this judiciary made history, they granted injunctions in petition cases, and they also made history when they removed from parliament elected members of parliament contrary to the provisions of the constitution.”
He added that people are entitled to bail in rape cases and therefore after a year in detention, he believes that Mansaray should have been granted bail, stating "that should not prejudice the trial". He encouraged those in charge of administering justice, to be fair.
He applauded the president for the free quality school education program, recognizing the fact that the country now has more kids in schools; however, he said more needs to be done in terms of ensuring quality.
In his submission, Member of Parliament for constituency 129 Emmanuel Saidu Conteh said the government has restrained freedom of assembly, association and speech, and that as according to him, citizens are not allowed to express grievances through demonstration or they will be arrested. “A citizen was arrested in Bo just for praising the effort of the former government," he claimed, and also stated that an MP was also arrested for expressing himself and that in all of those instances, the President has never made a statement to condemn it.
Analyzing the President’s speech, Abdul Kargbo of constituency 077 said the president in his speech stated that his government has "generated sufficient electricity", however, he said this is contrary to the situation on grounds. "Since this government came to power till now, there has not been any addition to the generation of electricity in this country" ,he stated. He said the only generator that was bought by this regime is the 1 megawatt which was used to replace the one that got burnt in Lunsar.
Kargbo said from research, through the IMF debt sustainability analysis report of 2018 and 2020, he learned that "Sierra Leone moved from moderate risk debt distress in 2018 to high risk in 2020". He explained that in 2007 the country's external debt was "2.5 trillion Leones", adding that in ten years the external debt grew from 2.5 trillion to 19 trillion “in ten years the previous government borrowed 16.6 trillion Leones. On annual average debt calculation, I came to the conclusion that the previous government borrowed 1.66 trillion Leones in one year. From 2018 to 2020 the debt grew to 31.3 trillion Leones. In three years this government has borrowed 12.3 trillion Leones and the average annual debt calculation in three years, the government has borrowed 4.1 trillion in one year,” he said.
In response, Ibrahim Tawa Conteh of constituency 132 countered Kargbo, stating that what the president inherited was "acute shortage of electricity." And that in 2018 the stock of external debt was 1 trillion 5 hundred billion and said in three years, the current government has added 5 billion to it, after his calculation, and he claimed he came to the conclusion that the former government used to borrow 1 trillion 5 billion yearly, while the current government has been borrowing a 166 billion (one hundred and sixty- six billion) yearly.
In his statement, Saa Emmerson Lamina the leader for the C4C party in parliament commended the efforts made by the current government to bring in more investors into the mining sector, adding that in three years, the government has launched three mineral policies.
Kandeh Kolleh Yumekella, the leader of the NGC party in parliament stated that government is continuity and that no one government can completely transform a country without foundation being laid by others, and made example of the Kenema Kailahun high way which according to him was negotiated by the late former President Ahmed Tejan Kabba. He explained that many of the infrastructural development executed during President Koroma's reign was a result of the foundation that the late president laid. He added that it is in that same spirit President Bio will be applauded if he accelerates the projects that were left by the former President Ernest Bai Koroma.
In his submission, the Leader of Government Business, Mathew Nyuma said the president in his three years has created a lot of impact in infrastructural development such as the Imatt-Regent road, a hundred-bed hospital at 34, Moyamba town roads, Rogbereh Bridge, Savage Bridge, etc., and that some of the projects are ongoing whiles others have been completed. He also noted the seven district electrification project which he said has lighted up many districts that have gone for decades without electricity.
Copyright © 07/07/21 Politico Online
