By Mohamed T. Massaquoi
A Justice of the Peace sitting in the Magistrates Court in Pujehun has remanded in prison the liaison officer of the iron ore miner, China Kingho investment company limited to await an appearance before a magistrate on the 4 July on allegations of having sex with a minor.
J.P James Momodu Samba ordered that Amadu Sesay be arraigned before Magistrate Alford Fidawi because "I have no power to conduct the preliminary investigations into this matter".
Sesay, whose responsibility at the company covers Kpaka and Gallines Perri chiefdoms in Pujehun district is accused of sexual penetration of a minor, contrary to section 19 of the sexual offences Act of 2012.
He is one of two multinational workers, the other being a staff at Socfin, alleged to have raped a an 11-year-old and a 14-year-old.
Police say the alleged sexual abuse of the 14-year-old girl was reported to them on the 24th May 2014. Constable Lahai Koroma of the Family Support Unit in Pujehun who confirmed that he received a report that the class 6 pupil was allegedly sexually abused by Amadu Sesay, alias Dr. WHO.
One of the parents of the alleged victim, Foday (surname withheld to protect the girl’s identity) said a medical report revealed that “our child is pregnant after being deflowered by this man”.
He told Politico at the time that they doubted “very much if our daughter would survive because she is not mature enough to deliver a baby”.
In a related matter involving alleged child sex, two Justices of the Peace have referred for preliminary investigation by a magistrate Shiaka French and his 14-year-old co-accused on murder charges. No plea was taken
Justices of the Peace James Momodu Samba and Susan Mbalu Sheriff remanded Shiaka in the Pujehun prison while handed over his 14-year-old co-accused to the probation officer of the Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children's Affairs Francis Finoh for her to be detained at the remand home in Bo because "she is a juvenile".
The girl, a pupil of the Methodist Secondary School in Bo, is accused of stabbing to death Jebbeh, the wife of Shiaka with whom she was allegedly having an affair.
The incident happened on the night of 14 June at Madinma Kodogbe village in the Kpanga Kabondeh chiefdom, some 15 miles from Pujehun town.
Police say the incident emanated from "jealousy which ended in a quarrel between the accused and the deceased for the heart of one Shiaka French, the husband of the deceased with whom she has four children”.
The father of the deceased, Foday Sulaiman said his daughter "is the only hope I have to take care of my responsibilities at my age” adding: “the matter must be dealt with to my satisfaction”.
Fatmata Koroma, mother of the 14-year-old accused, said she had warned Shiaka on several occasions to stay away from her daughter "because she is still in school”.
(C) Politico 24/06/14
