By: Audrey Raymonda John
The Mayor of Freetown Yvonne Aki Sawyer is before the Court on two counts charges of obstruction of Police duty and disorderly behavior contrary to law. Police alleged that on Saturday 17th September, 2022 at the Airport Police Division, Lungi, Kaffu Bullom Chiefdom, and Port Loko Judicial District.
The accused Yvonne Akie Sawyer obstructed Sergeant Richard Junior Caulker and Corporal 12225 Fanta Fofanah while executing their lawful duties and did behave in a disorderly manner.
Led in evidence by lead Defense Counsel Joseph Fitzgerald Kamara, Madam Aki Sawyer as the first Defense witness said among her duties and responsibilities set out in the local government act is to promote the welfare of citizens within the municipality of Freetown and might have cause to travel to seek external funding in complementing the government’s development agenda.
She recalled that on the 17th September 2022, she was scheduled to travel to New York on an invitation from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and was to speak on the localization of the SDGs as part of the UNGA meetings.
She said part of the invitation requirement was to come along with a member of the government council committee or with a member of staff of the council.
She was in this case accompanied by the chairperson of the development and urban planning committee Councillor Sheku Turay who separately received his own invitation. On the date of traveling, while at the airport’s VIP lounge having completed security checks and boarding passes handed over to them, Councilor Alhassan Sheku Gibril went for 5pm prayers while she was on a conference call, she heard through the public announcement at the airport that the said Councilor was to report to the Immigration. But she thought the Councilor had not completed certain protocols for which he was needed. Councilor Turay she told the court however responded to the call. During that course the Mayor said her phone was persistently ringing by known and unknown numbers
When she finally responded, Councilor Turay informed her he had been arrested and was at the police station in Lungi which she estimated was about 150 meters from the airport stating no reason for his arrest.
At about 7:15, which she said was about 30 minutes before their flight was to take off, she said she left for the said police station.
At the station, she said she was only aware of one officer around at the time and heard the voice of the arrested Councilor beckoning on the attention of the Mayor. Having looked through the narrow space at the police station, she said she saw a lady assumed to be a police officer in plain clothes. Upon inquiry whether or not the officers had warrant of arrest, she said their response was that they were only junior officers. After requesting for her to speak to Councilor Turay, the Mayor said an officer offered to accompany her to the local unit commander whose office was in another building. On the verge of leaving the room, the Mayor said she took out her phone and was narrating on Facebook about her experience on “arbitrary arrest without warrant “, actions by state institutions to deprive citizens of their human rights on matters of public interest”.
She described the incident as traumatizing.
Prior to the arrest, the witness said she and the arrested councilor was not aware of any police interest in Councilor Turay. On her way to the LUC, she said the Air France Manager called her that the flight was boarding. So she immediately left to board
Asked to confirm by State Counsel Yusif Isaac Sesay, the mayor said that until 7pm she was still on the conference call and about 6:45 when the announcement came through at the airport’s public announcement system for the arrested councilor. The calls that persistently came in she said was from the same cell phone number. She said she did not ask the councilor why he was arrested.
For clarity and certainty, the witness was shown her statement made to the police four months ago where she said that she was advised by the Minister of Planning and Economic Development Dr. Francis Kaikai whose intervention was solicited to call head of immigration as advised. She said she did so because it was a police matter and that Dr. Kaikai was not a Lawyer and also choose not to call any senior police officer in that situation where she had very limited time.
She couldn’t ever been informed about the reason for Councilor Turay’s arrest. Put to her that she didn’t inquire from the immigration and police about the arrest. The witness disagreed.
But she agreed that the councilor had told her he had been arrested and interrogated in relation to the August 10th insurrection
State Counsel put it to the witness that a warrant of arrest can only be put to the person being arrested and not the witness, but defense counsel objected. But Magistrate Marke Ngegba overruled defense counsel.
When State Counsel put it to the witness that she went to the police station to prevent the Councilor from making a statement, she said, no.
At this stage, State Counsel requested for an adjournment, adding that he has another matter at the High Court. But defense counsel, lawyer Joseph Fitzgerald Kamara objected, noting that his commitment elsewhere is irrelevant.
Magistrate Marke Ngegba noted that it is the spirit of the Court to ensure speedy trial, but cannot determine the number of questions the prosecution should ask.
Magistrate Mark Ngegba has adjourned the matter to Thursday 19th January 2023.