By: Hafsatu Z Bangura
Three convicts, Mbamba Bangura, Santigie Kamara and Saio Mansaray were on Friday 29th July 2022 sentenced to 140 years imprisonment (all accused persons will serve 420yrs) each by Justice Augustine K. Musa presiding at the Siaka Steven Street High Court after they were found guilty and convicted for inserting a bamboo stick into the vagina of one Iye Sesay in Gbangbani bush.
They were before the court on two counts of conspiracy to commit a felony to wit felony and murder contrary to Law.
State Prosecutor, Yusifu S. Koroma alleged that Mbaimba Bangura, Borbor Bangura, Santigie Kamara and Saio Mansaray on diverse days between 1st February and 16th February 2020, at Bombali district, in the North Eastern province conspired with other persons unknown to commit a felony to wit murder.
It further that the accused persons on the 13th February 2020 in Bombali district murdered Iye Sesay, a mother of 5 kids in Makiteh village in the Biriwa Chiefdom.
The 2nd accused (Borbor Bangura) who is the husband of the deceased was acquitted and discharged by Justice Augustine K. Musa after the jury returned with a not guilty verdict against him on both counts.
Justice Musa admonished the discharged accused that he should the opportunity to think about his life moving forward and should go and take good care of his five kids.
Giving her closing address on behalf of the accused persons, Lawyer Cecilia Tucker from Legal Aid Board said when the convicts made their first appearance before the court, they pleaded not guilty to the offences.
She said the burden of proof of the offences against the accused persons rests on the Prosecution to prove the guilt of the accused persons beyond reasonable doubts and the prosecution called 3 witnesses to testify in respect of the matter.
She continued that the Prosecution closed its case after the testimony of the witnesses, the police investigator, who testified and tendered the statements of the accused persons and photos taken at the scene of the incident, the court Registrar who made some depositions and the 7-year-old son of the deceased.
She said during the testimony of the police investigator, he said at the scene of the crime when he wanted to touch the stick which was said to have been used to insert and pushed into the vagina of the victim, the 1st accused told him not to touch it because it have some magical powers, the reason it had not been brought before the court as evidence which is important.
She said under cross examination the witness said he did not see any dead body at the scene. She added that any of the witnesses did not say they saw the accused persons killing the deceased and the remains of the deceased were not found, so there was no autopsy report to show what killed Iye Sesay which is very important in murder matters.
In his closing address, State Prosecutor, Yusifu S. Koroma said the deceased was a mother of five children and she is crying for justice because she was brutally killed by the accused persons.
However, Justice Musa said after leading his witnesses, the 1st, 2nd and 3rd accused persons said they relied on their statements made to the police and they denied the allegations, but there was an implication between the accused persons when making their statements to the police which show that they collaborated to kill the deceased as they were present at the scene.
He said the first prosecution witness testified that on the 16th of May 2020, he together with other officers and the 1st accused went to the scene and told him that the deceased died on the same day after a bamboo stick was inserted and pushed into her vagina by the 4th accused who was said to have carried out punishment against the deceased for violation of a male secret society (Gbangbani) law.
He said the 1st accused also showed the witness the stick that they pushed into the vagina of the deceased, but when he wanted to touch it, the 1st accused told him not to touch it because it have some magical powers, that was the reason it had not been brought before the court as evidence but took photos of the said stick.
State counsel said, the witness also testified that the 1st accused told him that the blacksmith hut where they used to play is owned by him and said before the chief of the village arrived; the 3rd accused Santigie Kamara dragged the body of the deceased into the bush.
He said one of the witnesses, a 7-year-old son of the deceased said while he was asleep, he heard the voice of his mother crying only to wake up and saw his father and 3 others taking his mother to be punished on Thursday 13 April 2020, a day the Gbangbani play was held.
He further said Moyo Sesay, sister of the deceased whose deposition was tendered in court said she knew all the accused persons and the 2nd accused was the husband of the deceased, and she said on the 13th February 2020 midnight she heard the voice of the accused persons saying they are going to kill her.
Justice Musa said having heard the unanimous verdict by the juries, 1st, 3rd and 4th convicts were sentenced to 70 years imprisonment each on both counts which were to be served consecutively for conspiracy and murder a total of 140 years jail term on both counts that all three accused persons will serve.
Justice Musa told the convicts that they like other citizens have the right to belong to a secret society but not to the detriment of others.
