By: Hafsatu Z. Bangura
Justice Manuela Harding of the Sexual Offences Court in Freetown has granted bail to Mohamed Tapeh in the sum of Le 50 million. The accused is charged with one count indictment of Sexual Penetration.
The accused was granted bail in April 2022 but could not meet the bail condition, and was reviewed. The accused also drew the attention of the Judge that his family members have been refused access to visit him since the inception of his jail term.
Fourth Prosecution witness (PW4) Detective Sub Inspector Rebecca Conteh attached at the Family Support Unit Western Police Station Adelaide Street Freetown testified briefly before Justice Manuela Harding.
According to the witness, she said on the 22nd of April 2019, she was on duty when a case of sexual penetration of a child was reported and the matter was referred to her for further investigations.
She went on that, issued a police medical form to the mother of the victim for Medical examination at the Rainbow Medical Center and an endorsed medical form was returned, which was shown to the witness for identification purposes and marked as Exhibit Z1-4.
Furthermore, she said, the accused person was cautioned and questioned and the accused statement was read to him which she said he admitted to being true and correct by affixing his right-hand thumbprint and was done in the presence of herself and D Sargent 8934 Kamara F and his statement was rendered and marked as Exhibit A1-4.
However, the matter was adjourned due to the charge in which the accused person was charged, as the witness in her testimony testified that the accused was charged in the old Act this Justice Manuela Harding ordered an adjustment to be made on the indictment of the accused person.
The matter has been adjourned to the 22nd August 2022, and the accused person was represented by O.V Robbin Mason Jnr, while the accused person was unrepresented.
