By Francis H. Murray
Vandi Sannoh, father of the 15-year old girl who was allegedly sexually penetration by the leader of the Alliance Democratic Party (ADP) Mohamed Kamarainba Mansaray, testified on Saturday 12th September 2020 before Justice Samuel O. Taylor at the sexual offences division of the High Court in Freetown.
Led in evidence by Lawyer Umu Sumaray, the witness recognized the alleged victim as his daughter, born in 2005 and the accused persons, adding that he knew the 1st accused through the 2nd. He said he was a neighbor to the 2nd accused who was also a friend to his landlady.
The witness said that on a certain day this year, the 2nd accused came to him and asked that his daughter (the victim) be helping her with domestic work including taking care of her children. ‘‘So I told her that my daughter was going to school which was a priority to me because I never went to school and I want my children to be educated. I told her if that was to be the case, I would only allow her to go there and help her after school and she wouldn’t live with her permanently. She accepted and I gave my daughter the go ahead.’’
He said following his eviction from his rented apartment the 2nd accused requested that the “victim” stay with her because she was very helpful to her and her children to which he consented. “One day when I returned from work as a driver, I had a call from one Mbalu summoning me and my wife, but I told my wife to go ahead and honor the invitation as I was tired. So when my wife returned and briefed me on the issues discussed I decided to go there the next day and there I met the 2nd accused and her husband with my daughter. The 2nd accused told me that a man of high class had come to like my daughter and has offered to help her go through her education and that when she was old enough he'll marry her and if need be take her abroad.’’
He added that he inquired to know how true the information was and that upon receiving assurances from the 2nd accused and her husband, he consented.
The witness said few weeks later, the 2nd accused came with the 1st accused along with other people to his house, where the first accused informed him of his plans for 15 year old girl, adding that on their return the first accused gave him the sum of Le 100,000.
According to Sannoh, the 1st accused brought his daughter to Freetown when schools were in session without his knowledge and that when he took up the issue with the 2nd accused she told him that she had already paid the sum of Le130, 000 for the girl to be attending extra classes in Freetown.
He said he received a call from the 1st accused while his daughter was in Freetown, telling him that he had given the sum of Le 300,000 to the 2nd accused as transport fare for his daughter to return to Kono.
The witness told the court that a few weeks after their return to Kono, he found his daughter waiting for him with food prepared for him by the 2nd accused. He said he had cause to accompany his daughter back to the home of the 2nd accused because it was already dark. He said upon arrival, he found his daughter’s belongings outside.
According to the witness a few days later he received a call from the 2nd accused during the night urging him to pick up his daughter the following morning because she had misbehaved.
He added that while playing with his daughter he detected something in her upper arm and upon inquiry his daughter told him it was the 2nd accused who administered “a thing called contraceptive” on her. He said his daughter was unable to tell him what “contraceptive” was, not until he explained the affair to his elder sister Fatu Banya whom the victim confided in, giving details of all that had transpired between her and the accused persons.
Mr. Sannoh said at that point they reported the matter to the police, where they were given a police medical request form which they took to the Koidu Government hospital where, according to him it was detected that his daughter had been tampered with.
He said they were later accompanied by a good number of police officers led by his daughter to go to Diamond Lodge hotel, one of the places the where the 1st accused allegedly violated the first accused. He said his daughter identified the rooms where the 1st accused allegedly took her to.
The witness also told the court that he was in his house when a journalist from Voice of Kono Radio Station came to him for an interview having heard the side of 1st accused on the incident in an audio recording in attempt to balance the story. He said he received many calls from the first accused urging him to withdraw the matter from the police.
Earlier, the mother of the alleged victim, Tigidankay Sannoh, told the court under cross-examination by Lawyer Samuel A. Konteh on behalf of the 1st accused that two meetings were held with the 1st accused and one Mbalu and that the first meeting happened this year couldn’t recall the date on which it took place.
She noted that in her statement to the police, she said that the 2nd accused told her that the 1st accused had come to like her daughter and had promised to be responsible for her education onto university level.
When put to her that she didn’t mention the issue of marriage to the police, the witness stressed that she told the police and that they might have left it out.
She said that her daughter started schooling in Kono and that she first came to know the 1st accused at the house of the 2nd accused and later in a meeting held in her own house.
She said the 1st accused invited them to the birthday party of his child but that she didn't know whether the 1st accused was there and that the 1st accused also threw a birthday party for the 15 year old alleged victim, to which she and her husband were invited.
Under cross examination by lawyer J M. Jengo on behalf of the 2nd accused, the witness denied giving her daughter any form of contraceptive. When it was put to her that she brought the allegations against the 2nd accused because she had taken away the clothes bought for daughter by the 1st accused, the witness denied saying that she had told her daughter to forget about it because that was not the end of their life.
Both accused persons were remanded in custody and the matter adjourned to 16th September 2020.
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