December 7, 2021
By Hafsatu Z Bangura
Lamin Kanneh a construction worker made his final appearance before Justice Suleiman Bah of the high court of Sierra Leone in Freetown on one count charge of sexual penetration of a child contrary to section 19 of the sexual offences Act, Act no.12 of 2012 of which he was discharged
According to the particulars of offence Lamin Kanneh on a date between the 1st September 2019 and the 31st September 2019 at Freetown in the Western Area of the Republic of Sierra Leone sexually penetrated a child.
The state prosecutor A Kargbo in her application said the victim’s parents do not wish to further prosecute the matter.
he said since the parents do not want to prosecute the matter any further the state hereby offer no evidence against the accused person Lamin Kanneh noting that since the start of the case no witnesses had testified and the parents of the victim were not willing to prosecute the matter any further.
The defense counsel M Karimu welcomed the application for the accused person to be discharged and objected not to the application by way of section 42 of the sexual offences Act.
Justice Suleiman Bah in his final ruling said having heard the application for the accused person to be discharged by the prosecutor and the defense counsel not objecting to the application and that the matter started on the 26th January 2020 and has been adjourned 28 times with no witnesses the accused person was discharged of all sexual charges against him as the health of the accused person is deteriorating, the accused was dressed up in a black draped jacket.
Lamin Kanneh is a 23 year Construction worker who also acts as a house help to Isata Kamara on the 13th October 2019 Lamin kanneh who had gone to the residence of Isata Kamara met the victim naked and inserted his finger into her vagina and the victim began to cry.
He said that Isata heard the child crying and went to where the child was crying and met the accused person and the victim, and that the victim told her it was the accused person that inserted his fingers into her vagina.
The findings of the fact of the investigations carried out by the Sierra Leone Police implicates Lamin Kanneh in the offence of sexual penetration contrary to section 19 of the sexual offence Act, Act no 12 of 2012
The police DPC 12130 Fatorma together with D sergeant 9211 Conteh A investigated the matter.
The defense counsel was represented by M Karimu whilst the state was represented by A Kargbo the accused was discharged of all sexual offences charge as the parents of the accused no longer wishes to prosecute the matter.