By Mohamed Foday Conteh
The call over of criminal cases from the last Session has ended on Wednesday 22nd September this year at the High Court in Freetown, marking the beginning of a new criminal session on the judiciary calendar.
Supreme Court Judge, Justice Alusine Sesay presided over a total number of 96 criminal cases. The highest number of criminal case in this criminal session is Conspiracy with a total number of 30 followed by Larceny with 16 and Wounding with Intent third with 13 cases. There were 11 murder cases and six sexual penetration offences.
According to the several particulars of offences read by Court Registrars during the session, most of the cases occurred late last year and early this year. The said cases are pushed to the High Court for call over after the end of Preliminary Investigations at the Magistrate Court as well as new indictments from the Law Officer’s Department.
The first accused to appear in front of the judge was one Abu Bakarr Sesay who was said to have committed Conspiracy to commit Larceny of cattle. Sesay pleaded not guilty after the charge was put to him. The accused on the request from the judge, said he has been on remand since February this year.
The said cattle according to the particulars of offence is said to have worth the sum of nine hundred thousand Leones (Le 900,000).
The judge reckoned that the accused has spent a long time on remand for the said crime and that he would possibly grant him bail.
The State Prosecutor, Joseph A. K. Sesay brought to the attention of the judge that the alleged victim in the said matter was Justice Deen-Tarawally.
Justice Sesay granted bail to the accused nonetheless citing that the alleged victim is a man of justice. The judge granted a bail of two million Leones (Le 2,000,000) with a surety in the Western Area.
In another matter, Justice Sesay refused bail to one Francis Hindolo Gbondo Johnson, a teacher. The accused was arraigned in court on one count indictment of House Breaking and Larceny.
The accused pleaded not guilty to the charge when read to him by the Registrar. He wept in court while informing the judge that he is a graduate of Freetown Teachers’ College and that he was a tenant at the alleged crime scene.
Justice Sesay refused bail to the accused citing that he should be role model in society. The judge also brought to the attention of the defence that a preliminary investigation was conducted and that the magistrate found sufficient evidence for the matter to be charged to the High Court.
He adjourned the matter to the 28th September this year with the accused set to appear in front of Justice Mohamed Momoja Stevens for speedy trial.
The remaining cases were apportioned to other judges for speedy trial except for few for which the bailiffs are yet to serve.
Copyright © 2021 Politico Online (24/09/21)
