By Mabinty M. Kamara
Magistrate Abdulai Sheriff of Pademba Road Magistrate Court Number 3 has on Friday 6th March granted bail to Samuel Joseph Bassie, accused of raping a 13-year old deaf and mute girl.
This was Bassie’s second appearance before Magistrate Sheriff. He first appeared last week in a closed door sitting. Backing then, on March 3rd, his Defense Counsel, Michael Charles, appealed for a bail but the prosecutor, Inspector Gloria Macauley, objected to the bail on the grounds that the victim and the accused lived in the same community and so by granting the accused bail, there was a tendency that he could interfere with witnesses.
The bail was then denied.
During cross examination last week, the alleged victim, who was speaking through a sign language interpreter, explained how on October 10 last year Bassie entered her room when she was studying and forcefully penetrated her.
The victim said she felt pain in her heart, when she was penetrated.
She said she started bleeding, when her mother succeeded in pushing Bassie away.
The second hearing on Friday, March 6th was done in an open court. Magistrate Sheriff granted bail in the absence of the prosecuting officer, Inspector Gloria Macauley, and the defense and prosecuting lawyers.
When Magistrate Sheriff called the case, the police attached to the court, ASP Yeanor Kamara, said the prosecutor and witnesses were not in court.
Following the ruling, the parents of the 13-year-old victim told Politico that they had been around the court room waiting for the case to be called.
The decision came as a surprise to them. The mother added that they had met with the Police Prosecutor Inspector Gloria Macaulay that morning in the court premise before she left, so she didn’t understand why they would announce in court that she wasn’t around.
The mother is a witness to the prosecution.
The alleged perpetrator was granted a Le40 million bail with two sureties who are residing at the Western Area.
The case was been adjourned to Wednesday, 11th March.
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