By Abass Jalloh
Magistrate Isata Sellu-Tucker of Pademba Road Court No. 2 in Freetown has sentenced seven accused persons to 16 months in prison and fined each NLe 5,000 (five thousand New Leones) after being found guilty acquitted of public order offences ranging from Unlawful Procession to Riotous Conduct in the August 10 anti-government protests in some parts of Sierra Leone.
The sentences are to run concurrently. Two other people were discharged.
Musa Juma Lavalie (1st), Santigie Dumbuya (2nd), Foday Mansaray (3rd), Mariama Jalloh (4th), Ibrahim Sorie Mansaray (5th), Santigie Kamara (6th), Adama Kamara (7th), Hawanatu Kamara (8th), and Ibrahim Kamara (9th) were before the court for both counts contrary to the 1965 Public Order Act of No. 46.
On counts one to four, court records stated that the 1st, 4th, 5th, 6th 7th, 8th, and 9th accused persons on the 10th of August 2022 in different locations in Freetown were found partaking in unlawful procession.
Counts five and six stated that the 2nd and 3rd accused on the stated date in different locations behaved in a riotous manner.
In her ruling on Wednesday, October 12, Magistrate Sellu-Tucker stated that all accused (now convicts) were found guilty of both counts or offences, except for the 2nd (Santigie Dumbuya) and the 6th (Santigie Kamara) who were acquitted and discharged.
According to the magistrate, the 6th accused was discharged due to his mental condition and the 2nd because the prosecution was unable to prove beyond reasonable doubt the culpability of the accused. There was no proof to show that, she said.
Defense lawyer, Musa Bayraytay, pleaded for a mitigation of punishment for the accused persons, but the magistrate stated that since the judgment had been passed, “the ruling was an order from the court”.
The prosecution, led by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Hawa Bah, brought in seven witnesses who were police officers to testify, while the defense counsels provided nine witnesses for their case which they represented themselves as witnesses.They denied all charges levied against them.
The accused were on the stated date in different locations singing, shouting, and chanting with placards marked with various wordings especially against the ruling government, and they were arrested and taken to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) in Freetown, according to the prosecution.
Copyright © 2022 Politico Online (14/10/22)
