By Audrey Raymonda John
Justice Alhaji Momoh Jah Stevens of the High Court in Freetown has sentenced six defendants to 80 years imprisonment each for their involvement in the killing of Reverend Father Augustine Dauda Amadu in Kenema.
The convicts are Martin Sallu, Gbessay Sawray, Foday Sallu, John Bangali, Joseph Gikamaji Kamara and Foday Alhassan Sesay.
They were arraigned before the court on five counts, including Conspiracy to Commit Robbery with Aggravation, Robbery with Aggravation, Conspiracy to Murder, Murder, and Receiving Stolen Goods, contrary to Section 33(1) of the Larceny Act, 1916.
According to the indictment, on a date unknown between 1 August and 29 August 2025 in Bo, Southern Province, the accused persons conspired together to commit robbery with aggravation.
The indictment further stated that Martin Sallu, Gbessay Sawray, Foday Sallu, John Bangali and Joseph Gikamaji Kamara, on the same date in Kenema, while armed with a gun, robbed Reverend Father Augustine Dauda Amadu of one Lenovo laptop valued at US$350 and cash amounting to Le5,000.
The court further heard that the accused persons conspired to murder the Reverend Father and subsequently killed him.
The indictment also stated that the sixth accused, Foday Alhassan Sesay, on 29 August 2025 in Freetown, received one Lenovo laptop valued at US$350, property of Paul Allan Max Jones, knowing it to have been stolen.
Before passing sentence, Justice Stevens stated that the accused persons had been tried on the charges and had all pleaded not guilty.
The Judge described the case as straightforward, noting that the accused persons relied mainly on statements they made to the police during their defence.
Justice Stevens said the second accused, Gbessay Sawray, and the fifth accused, Joseph Gikamaji Kamara, made confessional statements to the police admitting their involvement in the killing of Reverend Father Augustine Dauda Amadu at the Parish Church in Kenema.
He further noted that the third accused, Foday Sallu, claimed in his statement that he was not present in Kenema but admitted knowledge of the planned operation by the other accused persons and failed to report it to the police.
Justice Stevens stated that had Foday Sallu informed the authorities about the planned act, it could have prevented the loss of a life.
The Judge said the first accused, Martin Sallu, the third accused, Foday Sallu, and the fourth accused, John Bangali, elected to testify in court, but their testimonies were self-serving.
He explained that although they claimed they were threatened at the police station and forced to confess, their statements clearly described how the crime was planned and executed.
Justice Stevens further highlighted that John Bangali, in his statement to the police, admitted that the allegations against him were true and correct. The Judge said Bangali stated that he had eaten before leaving his house and told his brother he was going into the bush to hunt animals but instead participated in the criminal operation.
The Judge said all the accused persons’ statements and defence evidence contained information that implicated them in the offences.
Regarding the sixth accused, Foday Alhassan Sesay, Justice Stevens stated that he admitted knowing the laptop he purchased was stolen but proceeded with the transaction.
The Judge referred to the autopsy report, which revealed that Reverend Father Augustine Dauda Amadu suffered a broken neck and a broken right hand. He added that the deceased was found lying in a pool of blood inside a toilet, describing the manner of killing as brutal.
Justice Stevens stated that the accused persons gained nothing by taking the life of a man of God and that no justification had been presented before the court for the murder.
The Judge also noted that Gbessay Sawray was already serving a life imprisonment sentence for another offence but escaped during a prison break before committing the present offence.
Justice Stevens concluded that the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt and found all the accused persons guilty of the offences charged.
During mitigation, the convicts pleaded for mercy, except Gbessay Sawray, who maintained that he was not responsible for the crime.
State Counsel Patrick Lumumba Williams informed the court that the minimum sentence for such an offence is 14 years imprisonment.
Defence Counsel Karim Kargbo of the Sierra Leone Legal Aid Board appealed to the court for mercy, stating that forgiveness remains a value that should guide justice.
After considering the submissions, Justice Stevens sentenced the first five convicts Martin Sallu, Gbessay Sawray, Foday Sallu, John Bangali and Joseph Gikamaji Kamara to 80 years imprisonment each.
The sixth convict, Foday Alhassan Sesay, was sentenced to 14 years imprisonment for receiving stolen goods.
The court ordered that the sentences should run consecutively.