By Francis H. Murray
The photograph of former President of Sierra Leone Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma has been tendered before Magistrate Hannah Bonnie in Freetown in the ongoing preliminary investigations into a ten-count charge against the former Minister of Social Welfare Gender and Children’s Affairs Dr. Sylvia Blyden.
In her testimony, Police Officer Zainab Isatu Kamara attached to the Major Incident Units at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) headquarter, recalled that she was on duty on the 22nd of May 2020 when Detective Superintendent Mohammed Kugba Allieu handed over to her some items, included a laptop computer, mobile phones, documents and a photograph of the former President of Sierra Leone Dr. Ernest Bia Koroma.
She said Superintendent Allieu confirmed to her that the items were seen at the premises of Dr. Blyden, adding that she prepared a list of the items and handed them over to the exhibit clerk, Sergeant 1516 Abu Conteh.
Blyden is jointly charged with Hussain Muckson Sesay, a third year engineering student of Fourah Bay College with ten-counts including seditious libel, false publication, defamatory libel, conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.
Defense counsel Charles Francis Margai urged the prosecution to do what he called “the necessary work, so that progress could be made.”
State prosecutor Yusuf Sesay also consented to an adjournment. The case comes up again on the 14th of September 2020.
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