By Mohamed Foday Conteh
Justice Momoh-Jah Stevens has sentenced one Ahmed Issa Kamara, a Forest Ranger, to five years imprisonment for leaking sex videos of himself and her then girlfriend.
Justice Stevens found Kamara guilty on Wednesday 20th October 2021 at the Sexual Offences Model Court in Freetown on all four charges for which he was arraigned.
He was accused of making indecent material, circulating indecent material, circulating indecent material of the victim and presenting indecent material; all contrary to Section 18 of the Sexual Offences Act of 2012.
The State Prosecutor, Musa Pious Sesay, led in a total of four witnesses which included the victim who cannot be named.
The young woman, in her testimony told the court that she was unaware when the videos were recorded. She told the judge that Kamara was her boyfriend at the time and that they used to reside together. She accused him also of battery when they lived together.
The second prosecution witness was Police investigator Alphonso Kamara who explained how the accused confessed to them that the said videos were recorded with his phone but he was not the one who shared the videos as alleged by the victim.
The investigator also told the court during cross-examination by defence lawyer from Legal Aid, Cyril Taylor-Young, that Police interviewing of Kamara then a suspect, was suspended because they had wanted to bring in more witnesses for interview. The police officer, however, stated that he could not recall the names of the other people they interviewed.
An uncle of the victim was the third prosecution witness that testified against his niece’s former boyfriend. He said his niece introduced Kamara to him as her fiancé.
The aged man said it was the accused that sent the two sex videos through WhatsApp from mobile number 088584545, to him. He said that the videos left a bad impression on him and the entire family. He said Kamara called days later begging for mercy but he cut off the call, in anger.
The state prosecutor, in his closing address said the fact that the phone belonged to Kamara, the boyfriend, was a breach of a section of the law for which he was arraigned. He also referenced the statement made by the first and second prosecution witnesses, confirming it was the Kamara that shared the videos when the two were still together.
The defence lawyer, Taylor-Young, argued that the prosecution failed woefully to prove their case. He said that there were several defects and suggested that the judge be cognisant of consent between his client and the victim.
The defence lawyer also said that on one of the said sex videos, it was the victim that was holding the camera. He said that in the other video, the woman was looking at the camera.
Justice Stevens, after reviewing all the evidences in court, deduced that there was no consent between the victim and her boyfriend. He also said that although the two were in a courtship, it was the boyfriend who leaked the videos in order to belittle the woman. The judge said that it is unwarranted for one to present his partner as a prostitute.
Justice Stevens sentenced Kamara to five years imprisonment or a fine of 20 million Leones each on all four count charges. The judge ordered for the sentences to run concurrently. He also ordered that the convict pay the sum of 20 million Leones upon his release as a form of compensation to the woman.
Copyright © Politico Online 22/10/21
