By:Fatima Rogers
Justice Ivan Ansumana Sesay of the Freetown High Court has during the Judicial week sentence Moses Santigie Kargbo and four others to eighty years (80) imprisonment each as they were found guilty of robbing Memunatu Kamara properties worth over twenty million Leones and also during the process murder Mohamed Kamara.
The convicted accused Moses Santigie Kargbo, Chernor Sesay, Ishmeal Sankoh, Micheal Kinny Ndanema and Abdulia Bombolie Kanu were arraigned before the court on three count charges ranging from conspiracy to rob, robbery with aggravation and murder all contrary to the laws of Sierra Leone.
The charge sheet indicated that the convicts on diverse date between 10 and 13 January 2021 at Port Loko district conspired together to commit robbery.
The charge sheet further that the convicts on the same day and place been armed with gun robbed Memunatu Kamara one techno Pop 3 mobile phone valued at one million, five hundred thousand Leones (1,500), one techno spark 5 mobile phone valued one million five hundred thousand Leones, one Del laptop computer valued five million Leones fiscal cash of fifteen million Leones and other valuable items totaling twenty four million Leones.
The charge sheet ended that the convicts on the same date murdered one Mohamed Kamara.
Before sentencing the convicts, Justice Ivan said that the prosecution in proven the guilty of the accused called six witnesses and all the testimony of the witnesses corroborated.
He said the convicts pleaded not guilty of the offense.
He said in such case of murder the first element is that the prosecution must established the act of homicide which refer to the unlawful killing of another person.
He said the prosecution must prove beyond reasonable doubt that a human life was taken.
He said in the case of robbery with aggravation, which is a serious offense that involves the commission of a larceny while causing or threatening to cause harm or using deadly weapon and the prosecution bears the burden of proving each element of this crime.
He said the first element that must be established is the act of taking or attempting to take something of valued from the possession of another person and the next element to consider is the use of threat, violence and fear.
He said the burden of proof lies with the prosecution who must established the guilt of the accused beyond reasonable doubt.
He said he has looked at the evidence before him and with the exhibit tendered before the court, and that he is satisfied that the prosecution have proved their case beyond reasonable doubt and found the accused guilty of the offense they were standing trial for.
The convicts in their allocutus pleaded for mercy and said they will not repeat such act.
Defense Counsel A. B Koroma in his plea mitigation pleaded with the judge to temper justice with mercy on the convicts and said they are remorseful and regretted their actions.
He further begs the judge not to impose a custodian sentence on the convicts but a minimal one.
State Counsel Jessy Tucker in reply said the offense committed by the convicts are serious and they should be given the appropriate sentence so that it can serve as lesson to others.
Justice Ivan Sesay in his ruling sentence each convict to ten years imprisonment for count one, thirty years imprisonment for count two and forty years imprisonment for count three; totaling eighty years imprisonment for each convicts.
He said the sentence should run concurrently.