By Francis H. Murray
Defence lawyers representing thirteen people who police say were involved in the violent unrest in the city of Makeni have continued the cross-examination of investigating officer, Detective Police Constable 9268 Joseph Jay Collins before Magistrate Mark Ngegba in Freetown.
Being cross examined by lead defence lawyer, Wara Serry Kamal, the witness said on Monday 28th September that he obtained statements from all the accused persons.
When challenged that the 2nd accused had told the police that he was arrested at his barbing shop by an unknown military personnel, the witness answered in the affirmative, adding that the report they received from the arresting officer suggested that he was arrested at the height of the violence.
Challenged on the fact that he did not crosscheck the validity of the information by checking to prove whether he was at the said shop at the time of the incident, the witness noted that the 2nd accused did not mention the location of the said barbing shop, which was why he didn’t bother to crosscheck the information. He added that no gun was taken from the 2nd accused.
Lawyer Serry Kamal also argued that the wrong people may have been arrested in respect of the incident because she said the matter was not properly investigated. In reply, the witness stressed that the matter was thoroughly investigated, adding that he did not know the six people who were killed during the incident, as he was not resident in Makeni.
Detective Collins also noted that the charges proffered against the accused persons were confirmed based upon the evidence gathered during the course of investigation, adding that about 50 people were arrested during the riot with some of them later released by the police because of varying conditions.
“The police proffer charges without fear or favour of anybody and the 13 accused persons were involved in the public disturbances which they are now standing trial for,” he said.
He further noted that the 3rd accused was not charged with malicious damage in respect of the Electricity Generation Transmission Company (EGTC) property in Makeni, but rather in respect of the damage on the SLPP Party office, adding that the accused participated in the riot which resulted in his arrest.
He said the investigating team went to Makeni to confirm whether the incident was true and if the accused persons were involved in the riot, adding that the 5th accused person was arrested at a certain garage in Mabenteh.
The witness further noted that all those that were arrested during the riot and eventually brought to Freetown were men, stressing that the 9th accused person told him that he didn’t know the location of the electricity machines in the township.
The matter, prosecuted by Lawyer Yusuf Isaac Sesay, was adjourned to Friday 2nd October and the accused persons remanded in custody.
The prosecution alleges that the men in dock on Friday 17th and Saturday 18th July 2020, within Makeni City, Bombali District in the Northern Region of the country, conspired together with other persons unknown to commit a felony.
It is also alleged that the accused persons on the same date at Makeni City Bombali district, were found maliciously damaging properties of the Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP) Regional Office in Makeni worth thirty nine million Leones.
The 1st accused, Amadu Koroma, alias Kondoe, is also accused to have singlehandedly on Saturday 18th July, 2020, at Makeni City, maliciously damaged EGTC property.
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