By: Hafsatu Z Bangura
Amadu Turay, Abdul Gibao, Alfred Gbassay Sandy, Musa Koroma, Abdulai KANU, Ansumana Charles, Thomas Wilougby, Claude Kajue, Banja Tarawallie, Samuel Alpha, Edward John, Ahmed Sesay, Vandy Kamara, Allieu Thoronka, John Sesay, and Alhaji Kamara are all 16 accused persons standing trial before Hon. justice Monfred Sesay of the High Court No.2 in Freetown on 13counts charge offences of Conspiracy and Robbery.
Twenty Seven Prosecutions witness Bockarie Momoh a police officer attached at the Bonthe Mattru Police Station but before the Incident according to him he said he was attached at Moyamaba.
Prosecution Witness Bockarie Momoh during Cross Examination by State Prosecutor A. Jalloh and by the Judge Hon.Justice Monfred Sesay to do an identification of all accused persons on the dock to which he admitted of recognizing the 7th and 12th accused persons.
He continued that on the 20th May 2022 he was posted at Jagba check point at Moyamba, and on that day the Council of Chairman according to the witness met them and informed them of an Armed Robbery attack that happened in the evening hours the previous day.
He said immediately they mounted check point and conducted proper check.
He went on that it was during this he saw the 7th accused person on a bike loaded with a bag of coal looking very rough, he wore muscled T-Shirt with jeans trousers that had holes.
He said he ordered him to come down from the bike and asked him to follow him to the police post for proper checking and that they questioned him about his Whereabouts and name and that the 7tha accused person responded and said he was coming from Sorie Lane Imatt. Prosecution witness furthermore said they ordered a search to be done and during this search found with him four Mobil phones and when questioned he answered that he was the owner of the said phones, the prosecution witness said they ordered him to unlock the phone which contained a pass code but he couldn’t and immediately was detained and called at the main headquarter for OPS team who carried him along with mobile phones as evidence and that the bike rider ran away when he saw the arrest of the 7th accused person.
He also identified the 12th accused person and said at the check point by the side of the check point he saw the police and ran away into the bush but was caught and brought back to the check point by community people and placed him at the post till OPS team again carried him along.
Twenty Eight Prosecution Witness Ishmail Lahai who is a teacher at the Haford Secondary School for Girls Moyamba and also a resident of Moyamba said he recognized the 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 13th, 14th and 15 accused persons.
He said on the 20th May 2019, he was at home and woke up at around 4am and saw several missed calls on his phone from the Chairman Mr. Joseph Boba and Jeremy Kailu Lahai and immediately he said he returned Jeremy’s call who told him about the attack at Rev. Jane Lahai’s residence and immediately went to the house and saw Martha Lahai badly beaten with blood oozing from her body and was immediately rushed to the Government Hospital in Moyamba.
He furthermore stated that there were also neighbors named Angela, Jalloh a guy working for CSC and another lady including the Rev. Jane and were all crying bitterly.
He said at around 6am a large youth crowd gathered upon hearing the information and went to the police station to request of permission in helping them search for the culprits involved in the robbery and was granted by the police.
He continued that they asked several riders to enquire of them bringing strange faces of non-resident Moyamba and said one of them told them that he brought some strange faces to Moyamba at 6pm the following day and inquired further of the location he dropped them and responded at 13th accuses place named Nelly (Vandi Kamara) and was familiar with him at Moyamba and went to his place at the main junction a small space he used to repair motor bike and asked of him and confirmed that indeed some guys came to his place and directed them to the 2nd accuses place nick named 40ft if which he denied the name when asked by the judge to confirm, he went on that they arrested him immediately and inquired of him receiving any group of people the following day and said that he was a business man selling Marijuana and they came and he directed them to the 8th accuses place and to the 3rd accused named Lagbesh.
He said they arrested the 2nd accused and took him to the police station and there he met the 5th accused who was not a resident of Moyamba and that the 5th accused recognized the 2nd accused as one of them that orchestrated the robbery in the presence of the 2nd accused.
We went in search of the 3rd accused and the 8th accused persons and whilst on the search we went to the 12th accused Nelly on interrogation and saw the 15th accused running out from the house towards Moyamba Junction and apprehended him together with the 13th accused person and brought him to the station the witness testified.
He said at the police station they were identified by the 5th accused as also part of those that orchestrated the robbery.
He also concluded that they again rested 3rd accused, and 8th accused as they were previously told by the 5th accused person 40ft and was further asked if those were the only people he knew were engaged in the robbery but said he was unable to name them but can recognize and describe their looks and one such was the 9th, 10th, and 14th accused and also mentioned a named called blacker that is different from the 15th accused, he said they immediately went again according to the description and name arrested a certain blacker whom he identified not to be the one and again brought in another and immediately identified him and said that he had some of the stolen items.
